COM:TNV Rough Draft
by KingdomKey23
Summary: Take a look at the original Chain of Memories: The Nintendo Version.
1. Prologue: Oblivious Beginnings

Disclaimers: I do not own Square-Enix, Disney, Nintendo, Rareware, Hal Productions, and any media references to other games, movies, and books I use. I do own the rights to any original ideas that come into play as well as lines, gags, and jokes. Please respect the following wishes and do not: plagiarize (This is a big one, so please do not attempt this. This may be a parody, but with all the original ideas I have I fear for the worst as this has been a big issue in the first installment), or spam the story. Please ask me first to use any of my ideas.

**Prologue: Oblivious Beginnings**

Light and darkness; elements that exist around the human eye. For every step taken, living beings notice these elements; from the sun that shines brightly in the sky, to the darkness that scares children at night. However, the light and darkness have always been opposite of one another like cold and warm, sad and happy, or beginning and end. These two powers revolve around the heart, an organ which beats in the blood stream, pumping every moment of the daily life. A truly mysterious organ that baffles scientists with riddles, one scientist named Ansem who sought out to learn more about this organ.

His research, his tests, his theories lead to the conclusion that all hearts are born in darkness. From this darkness comes creatures of shadows, born without a heart. Their plan is to steal hearts of other victims, turning them into creatures of darkness. Ansem, a mighty ruler of a peaceful kingdom soon learned the truth of his studies, but he was too arrogant to learn the wrongs of his experiments. In the end, he lost his body to the darkness, leaving him without a being or a heart.

His mind was clouded by poor judgement and darkness. This once wise sage became a power hungry madman who wanted nothing more than to rule the worlds that twinkled in the sky. Every world used to be divided by a wall which would prevent the inhabitants from stepping outside of it.One day the heartless broke through the walls, invading many of the worlds, hurting many innocent people, and destroying the world which they lived in. Every world also has a heart, and a keyhole resides in it. This keyhole led to the heart of the world, where the creatures of darkness would attack it, thus destroying it.

The hearts that were destroyed seemed to lead to a giant door where the heart of all worlds were. Ansem, a castaway from the darkness fooled a group of villains into gathering seven maidens of the purest heart to open that door, so Ansem can use its power to take over all worlds.

Sora, a young man of fourteen years lived on the beautiful islands of Destiny Islands with his best friends Riku and Kairi. Kairi was a mysterious girlwho came to the island not too long ago, but many were riddled as to why she has come here. Sora and Riku befriended this new girl and showed her around the island with their friendship growing. Both Riku and Kairi were special to him very much. Sora has always had a crush on Kairi, but had a hard time expressing his feelings for her. Riku and him have been best friends ever since they were little kids, but were also competitive rivals, sadly with Riku always coming out on top.

It seemed like an average life on the peaceful island, always hanging out together, and doing other fun things. One day, the three kids decided to go on an adventure to other worlds. Building a raft, they began preparation to head out into other places, dreaming of far off lands where magic can happen. One night a strange storm impacted their island, destroying everything in sight. In the process, Sora was separated from the two friends who meant everything to him. In the process, he was given a strange weapon called a keyblade which seemed to destroy the creatures of darkness known as heartless.

Sora was whisked away to a magical island called Isle Delfino, where mythical creatures he's never seen before existed before his eyes. As he journeyed through this unusual island, he encountered a man named Leon who told him of his destiny as the keyblade master. His mission was to stop the heartless from their evil intentions as he alone held the weapon of light that could destroy the creatures of darkness. As his journey continued, he was aided in a battle by an Italian man wearing blue overalls named Luigi and a dinosaur like creature called Yoshi.

They came from the Mushroom Kingdom, where the protector of it known as Mario fought against the evil koopa tribe, who was lead by a monstrosity known as Bowser who constantly kidnaped the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom known as Princess Toadstool Peach. The king of koopas was in charge of the group of villains who attend to gain supreme power by using the heartless to take over their worlds. Mario heard of the dangers of the worlds, including the Star Rod that protected their world, which was stolen.

Mario wrote a letter to his brother Luigi, explaining the dangers of this situation. Luigi was informed to find someone with a "key" and that key was the only chance for survival. Along with Yoshi, the two left their homeland, journeying to Isle Delfino while accompanied by princess Peach and her royal steward Toadsworth, who would be officially chronicling their journey. Together, Sora, Luigi, and Yoshi teamed up to find their loved ones in an adventure that took them beyond the stars, traveling to strange and wonderful worlds, meeting new faces as they traveled. During their journey, the three heros learned more about what the villains' master plans were, including Bowser kidnaping seven young women, one of which was princess Peach, and his use of the Star Rod. Sora was devastated as Riku betrayed their friendship, siding with the villains. His goal was to find Kairi, who lost her heart to the darkness and admit his feeling to her.

Sora became closer to his new friends, especially Yoshi who was like the little brother he never had. A special friendship that made Riku even more angered to hate his former friend. Finally, Sora and his friends confronted Riku in a dark castle called Hallow Bastion that used to be home to Leon and his friends. Many surprises were discovered as Riku turned out to be the true wielder of the keyblade. With that uncovered, Yoshi and Luigi regretfully left to join Riku. Sora, however did not give up as his love for Kairi and his friends kept him going.

In his final confrontation with Riku, Yoshi and Luigi switched sides to join Sora again, as it was no longer a mission, but their friendship has grown and they would never brake the promise they made when they first met. Because of Riku opening his heart to darkness, his heart got weaker and with his friends at his side, Sora's heart got stronger. This resulted in the keyblade rejecting Riku and choosing Sora as the new owner of the keyblade.

Their friendship prevailed as they defeated Riku and Bowser. Before Bowser was lost in the darkness, Riku returned with a different form and his own keyblade that had the power to unlock people's hearts. Using this power, he gave Bowser supreme power, but was once again defeated by Sora's group. Soon, Riku revealed himself to be Ansem, who took over Sora's childhood friend's body. Sora was also reunited with Kairi who lost her heart during their separation.

Everyone soon learned that Kairi was one of the seven princesses of heart who had the power to unlock the heart of all worlds, but her heart needed to be present. Her heart was located inside of Sora, who took shelter after the darkness destroyed their island. Sora fought against Ansem on his own to stop him from achieving his goal and successfully defeated the seeker of darkness. In the end, Sora used the dark keyblade to unlock his heart to free Kairi's heart. Sadly, Sora lost his heart and turned into a heartless, but completed the keyhole in the process.

Ansem fully took control of Riku's body, gaining a new body in the process. Kairi, Luigi, and Yoshi managed to escape his wrath with a little help from Riku who was fighting against the king of darkness inside. As they made their way to the exit a heartless ambushed the three, but did not try to attack them. Kairi knew that it was Sora, and with her heart and love for him, she freed him from the darkness, restoring his heart to him.

Upon return to Isle Delfino, Sora vowed to defeat Ansem and rescue Riku. Kairi supported him and gave him a lucky charm to hold onto as he traveled from world to world. Sora's group returned to Hallow Bastion, where the other princesses were awakened and told Sora that Ansem has escaped. Sora also learned that once Ansem is defeated the worlds will be restored, but the walls the heartless destroyed will reappear, thus preventing Sora to travel to other worlds. This devastated him, but he stood strong and knew what had to be done. After sealing the keyhole to Hallow Bastion, the three friends left and confronted Ansem in a final showdown of good and evil, with Sora's group coming out on top. With his last breath, Ansem tried to gain supreme power through the door of darkness known as Kingdom Hearts. In the end, the door opened, revealing a ray of light that blinded him and consumed him into nothingness. The friends tried to close the door in hopes of stopping the darkness from pouring out, but it was simply too strong to close. Riku appeared inside the door to help as he finally returned to normal.

However, it still wasn't enough to close the door. All of a sudden, the group's hope came as Mario appeared inside the door, holding his own keyblade in hand. He told Luigi that he would not be able to cross to the other side of the door leaving him trapped forever. Luigi felt sad upon knowing this, but Mario assured his brother and Sora that there will always be a door to the light. The gang finally sealed the door to darkness, with Riku telling Sora to take care of Kairi. Those words stayed with him ever since then.

Sora and Mario used their keyblades to seal the door, causing it to vanish forever. The three friends reflected on the good times they had with their loved ones because of this. After his emotional good-bye with Luigi, Toadsworth, and Yoshi he was reunited with Kairi, but the reunion was cut short as they were pulled apart by the barriers. Sora made a promise that he would return to her someway and someday. Before her eyes the love of her life was gone, but till this day never gave up.

Sora was reunited with his comrades and they currently walked down a endless pathway in a giant grass field. Sora had brown spiked hair and blue eyes. He wore a red jumpsuit, a blackish-greyish coat with a hood around his upper body, a blue belt around his waist, wearing grey gloves with his fingers showing out, a neckless with a crown on it, and big yellow shoes.

Luigi was a tall and skinny man with a black moustache and white gloves. He wore blue overalls, a green shirt underneath it and a green hat with a green letter "L" on it.

Yoshi was a dinosaur with green skin, with his front part white from his neck to the back of his tail. He also has red scales on his back. Also on his back was a red saddle and he wore red shoes and he had oval vertical eyes.

The mushroom that rode on Yoshi's saddle, Toadsworth had a walking stick in his right hand as he was an old man. He wore a vest with a purple buttoned down shirt. He had a giant white moustache and the dots on his mushroom head were brown. He also has reading glasses on. The gang continued to walk down the path until Luigi turned to Sora.

"Um, so what do we do now?" asked Luigi with his heavy Italian accent .

Sora put his hands behind his head, "The only thing we can do is find Riku and Mario."

"Yes," Toadsworth agreed with a British accent. "I say that shouldn't be so hard."

Yoshi then stopped, realizing something.

"But, uh, how we find giant door to light?" Yoshi asked dumbfounded.

The others paused for a movement, realizing they had no leads or anything to even finding Kingdom Hearts. The four dropped their heads down in disappointment, sighing heavily. Sora then heard something rustle in the bush. Yoshi got scared and coward behind Luigi. Sora looked up, noticing a bush with something rustling in it.

"What that?" Yoshi whimpered.

"Who goes there?" Sora shouted at the bush.

"There's nobody here, go away!" said a high pitched male voice. The voice gasped at it realized its mistake. "I mean...um...chirp...chirp?"

Luigi walked over to the bush and gasped to see a small lizard like creature. It had a giant green shell with spikes. He had yellow skin on his body, orange hair and orange eyebrows, and link chains around his neck. He was the son of Bowser known as Bowser Jr, and he screamed upon seeing Luigi. He quickly jumped out of it, doing a cannonball onto the ground. Luigi got startled and jumped back to the others. The young koopa landed flat on his feet.

"Hey!" he screamed. "Don't you know it's not nice to sneak up on a little innocent koopa like that?"

"And you actually know what the word nice and innocent means?" Luigi asked rhetorically.

"Shut up!" Jr snapped. He then growled at them. "You big bullies killed my pappa!" He then started crying. "How could you be so nice and kind? My dad was the most evil, lowest, dirtiest down father I ever had!"

"Look, you're dad tried to destroy everything." Sora explained calmly. "We weren't just going to sit there and do nothing."

"Silence!" Jr growled. "I shall avenge my pappa's death by destroying you four."

"It's pointless" Luigi groaned. "You're not even a waste of our breath."

Jr laughed manically, "You foolish plumber! It's not always the strongest that wins, but sometimes it's the smartest."

"I hate to admit it, but even the son is smarter than the father." Luigi whispered to Sora.

"Wow, he's that dumb?" Sora whispered in surprise.

"Kid, you have no idea how stupid the king of all koopas is." Luigi responded.

"So, mortals, prepare for my reign of terror!" Jr shouted. He then went behind his back, pulling out something that left everyone baffled. It was a white envelop. "Behold!"

Luigi noticed something distinguished on the letter. He noticed a red mushroom printed on it. He gasped in surprise upon seeing it.

"Hey, that thing on the letter," Luigi called to everyone. "Look!"

The others noticed it too. Yoshi and Toadsworth gasped in surprise upon seeing it while Sora looked on in confusion.

"What's the matter?" Sora asked Yoshi in confusion.

"That mark on letter is Mario's seal!" Yoshi exclaimed.

"Only Master Mario uses that kind of seal!" Toadsworth gasped.

Jr made an evil grin, "Ah, I knew that would catch your attention."

"You runt!" Sora angrily said. "Do you know where Mario is then?"

Jr started laughing, "Like I'd tell you losers! If you want to know so badly then you'll have to catch me first." He then ran for it, running as fast as he could. "So long, suckers."

Sora happily ran forward, ready to go after the son of the koopa king. He turned to his friends with his famous smile, gesturing them to come on.

"Let's go!" Sora cried excitedly.

The four ran at full speed, running down the narrow path as they chased after Jr. They laughed merrily as they ran down the path. They felt the wind in their face as they ran at full speed. They knew that a new adventure was upon the horizon, but little did they know that their next adventure was right around the corner.

**One week later...**

Sora, Luigi, Yoshi, and Toadsworth were continuing down the trail, still chasing after Jr. However, they have become exhausted from the running. The heat was simply unbearable to them. Sora took his grey coat off and rested it over his head, hoping to get some shade. He felt his stomach in pain as they ran out of food and water just yesterday thanks to a certain green dinosaur who ate left over food and water that could have lasted them two weeks at the most. They felt the sweat pour down their faces, with Yoshi hanging his tongue out. The sun was in the afternoon sky, meaning it wasn't even close to nighttime yet.

Luigi felt dizzy from no food or water. He stumbled over a little bit, panting heavily from being so tired. His tongue was so dry that he thought it was going to fall off. He felt like he was going to be sick. He gave an evil glare at Yoshi.

"You just had to eat two weeks worth of food," groaned Luigi. "Mama-mia! You're favorite food is seafood."

"Ooh," Yoshi said with delight. "Yoshi love seafood."

"Yeah, 'see' food, as in you see food and you eat it." Luigi said.

"That's the last thing we need," Toadsworth muttered under his breath. "We're starving to death and Master Luigi had to crack a pun."

"Aw, but I hungry." whined Yoshi.

"Hungry? Hungry!" shouted Luigi. "You may be hungry, but what about us? Do you seem to forget that we too were hungry?"

Yoshi giggled nervously. He felt like a complete idiot for his actions, but since he was a baby he wanted to find a way out of the situation. He quickly thought about for a second when he came up with an idea, though it wasn't a very good idea.

"But it not Yoshi's fault," Yoshi lied. "Hooded man from Hallow Bastion possessed Yoshi, making him eat everything."

"Yeah, right," Luigi rolled his eyes doubtfully. "And Goombas fly."

"Um, Master Luigi, Goombas do fly." Toadsworth pointed out.

"That's not the point!" Luigi snapped. "The point is you got to stop eating everything in sight! It's your fault we're tired, hungry, thirsty, and overheated."

Yoshi sadly put his head down, "I sorry."

Luigi looked at Yoshi, feeling a bit bad for yelling at him. Yoshi always understood the wrongs of his mistakes and Luigi felt that Yoshi may have learned his lesson. He smiled, patting Yoshi on the shoulder, trying to comfort him.

"Sorry I yelled," Luigi smiled warmly. "I know you understand your wrongs, but you really need to control that urge, especially when we are stranded out here. Can you do that for me?"

Yoshi felt happy again upon hearing that. He knew Luigi meant well and was okay by it. He happily licked Luigi's face. Luigi could only feel the dry surface of Yoshi's tongue as it hit his face. He knew they wouldn't last much longer out here, and they needed to find a town soon. Luigi all of a sudden fell on his knees, feeling extremely weak from the heat. His breath became wheezy, the sweat poured down his head. He started noticing red marks on his arms which he rolled up.

The others noticed this and quickly ran to his aid.

"Luigi, are you okay?" Sora asked concerned.

"Just peachy keen," Luigi said sarcastically. He then shouted. "OF COURSE I'M NOT OKAY, KID!" He dramatically put his hand over his head. "Water, water, my kingdom for some water, or at least some meat sauce."

"Relax, man," Sora said with his famous smile. "I'm sure we'll approach a town soon."

"Indeed, Master Luigi," Toadsworth agreed. "Every pathway has an end to it, meaning we're bound to end up somewhere at the end."

"Yeah, our graves." Luigi said tiredly.

"Come on, don't think it like that," Sora said a little disappointed. "You always think on the negative side of things, Remember, we need to keep an upbeat attitude."

"That was before we decided to chase after a fat moron's son down a path triple the size of the yellow brick road," Luigi said. He then started to panic "I tell you we're going to die out here! No food, no water, it's over!" He then started to cry.

The others slowly walked over to him, hoping to try and calm him down. Luigi was very scared as he knew that he was going to die. There was no denying it and he felt like he had too much to live for. He didn't want it to end this way, and prayed for a miracle. Looking back up, he noticed something fuzzy in the green fields. He took slow deep breaths to calm himself down from acting up. He relaxed his body for a minute, trying to release the tension pouring down his body.

"You okay?" Sora asked concerned.

"I'm fine, but I think I see something." replied Luigi.

"Where Master Luigi?" Toadsworth asked curiously.

"That way!" Luigi pointed excitedly.

The four walked off the path for a brief moment to find out what Luigi was excited about. As Luigi continued to walk, he saw a rectangular object that looked bigger than him. As he got closer to it, he gasped in excitement at what it was. To him it was a vending machine that had chips and soda cans inside of it. Luigi felt relief come over and happiness.

"It's a vending machine!" Luigi cried happily. "We're saved!"

The others looked on in confusion as Luigi was jumping for joy.

"I see no vending machine." Yoshi said to the others.

Indeed, Sora, Yoshi, and Toadsworth didn't notice anything out there. Something weird was going on here, Sora thought. Has Luigi finally cracked? Sora then noticed Luigi running out into the field, his arms wide open.

"Come to papa!" Luigi cheered.

Toadsworth tried to think about why Luigi was acting so weird. The plumber ran as fast as he could, his heart beating with excitement, the drool finally pouring down his mouth. He breathed heavily and laughed gleefully as he held his arms out, ready to hug it. Toadsworth gasped in surprise as he finally realized why Luigi was hallucinating a vending machine. The intense heat, the dehydration, it all added up.

Luigi hugged the vending machine with glee, unaware that he was actually hugging a giant grey rock. His eyes were closed so he didn't notice it.

"Come on, fellas," Luigi called the others. "We're saved! We can eat all we want!"

"Um, Master Luigi," Toadsworth said as he cleared his throat. "As much as I don't want to ruin your moment, the object that you are embracing is actually a giant rock."

Luigi opened his eyes and gave the "vending machine" a double look, noticing that he was now hugging a giant grey rock. Luigi backed away in surprise upon seeing it. He looked around, wondering where the vending machine went.

"Hey, what happened to it?" Luigi asked in confusion. He then gave Yoshi an evil glare.

"Don't look at Yoshi like that." said Yoshi innocently.

"Luigi, it was only a mirage," Sora pointed out. "The sun has begun to fry your brain so much that you imagined it."

"Great," moaned Luigi. He then angrily turned back to the rock. "Stupid mirage!" He then kicked the rock so hard that it caused a great deal of pain to his toes. He flinched his foot back, and held it with both hands, hopping up and down on one foot. "Yow!"

Sora lightly chuckled, _"Ah, klutzy Luigi. Some things never change."_

"Painful pasta!" Luigi yelped in pain. "We're never going to find a town!"

Toadsworth sighed sadly, "The only thing we can do now, masters is press on. We'll surely find a town around these parts."

"We no give up!" Yoshi added, reassuring Luigi. "Sora, Luigi, Yoshi, and Toadsworth need to find Riku and Mario!"

"I agree, but are you expecting the door to light to just pop out of thin air?" Luigi asked rhetorically.

"We'll find it," Sora said with confidence. "Something just tells me we will. I can feel it right in my gut."

Toadsworth felt a feeling he's never felt before. Something deep in his stomach. This feeling was indescribable to him.

"Strange, I somehow feel the same feeling." Toadsworth spoke up.

"Yeah, so can I." Luigi agreed.

"Maybe it gas," assumed Yoshi. Everyone gave him a confused look. "What? It could be."

Sora all of a sudden felt like he could really run again. Everyone else felt the same again. Their fatigue, their thirst, their hunger seemed to have subsided in the snap of a finger. They didn't know why they felt this way, but something was telling them to press on. They knew that they had a mission to complete and deciding not to worry about the feeling, they ran back to the path.

"Wow!" Luigi said in surprise. "I feel like a million gold coins all of a sudden!"

"Where did boost of energy come from?" Yoshi asked as he panted from running.

"I don't know, but lets use this energy to make it to the next town." Sora said.

The four arrived back on the path and continued their journey down it. They felt the wind embraces their faces as they jogged down the pathway. The sweat dripped down their faces for each step they took. Yoshi's tongue hung out as they ran down the path. The rest of day required constant breaks between each run. As luck would have it, Sora and friends found a small lake near by the path as the sun slowly started its decent to the horizon. The water was surprisingly very clean and looked healthy. The reflection of the sun was bright in the water.

Wasting no time, Sora, Luigi, and Yoshi jumped into the water, cheering at the top of their lungs. Toadsworth took his shoes off and sat down at the edge of the lake, resting his feet in the cool water. He felt his entire body cool down from the extreme heat. The trio popped their heads out of the water and began to suck it up. They felt their stomachs fill right to the top. The dryness in their throats and tongues began to disappear, while they also felt their bodies cool off from the heat.

"See, I told you we would be okay." Sora said to Luigi.

"Thank goodness we found this lake," Luigi said relieved. "I thought I was going to pass out after that run."

"It just go to show you the miracles can happen at any given moment." Toadsworth said.

"And maybe will find our friends next!" Sora said excitedly.

"Yeah, we will find them!" Luigi said also excited.

Sora then remembered something. Yoshi didn't like water, so how come he was in it?

"Hey, Yoshi, how come your in the water?" Sora curiously asked the dinosaur. "I thought you hated water."

"Yoshi got brave of the water thanks to Sora's help back at Station Square," Yoshi explained "Why, Yoshi love water now!" He then made an evil grin. "Yoshi love it so much, he ain't afraid to do this."

Yoshi pushed his hands hardly into the water, pushing waves up and causing a big splash to impact Sora and Luigi. Sora felt the water impact his face, shutting his eyes in the process. As the splash died down, Sora rubbed his face to get the water out of his eye lids. He shook his head rapidly to get the water out of his hair. As he opened his eyes he looked over at Luigi. What the keyblade master saw caused him to crack up.

Luigi's hat was flat on his head, the edge sides titled over which included covering his eyes. Each side of his moustache was curved downward and he was frowning. The priceless moment caused everyone else to start cracking up. Luigi quickly fixed his hat by taking it off and squeezing the water out of it. He then turned to Yoshi with an evil grin.

"Oh, a wise guy, eh?" Luigi grinned playfully. "Take this!"

Luigi sent a splash at Yoshi, which hit the dinosaur, knocking him backwards. Yoshi quickly went underwater and quickly returned with water in his mouth. They could tell because his cheeks were puffed up. He then spat the water out of his mouth like a water hose and hit Luigi right in the face.

"Hey!" Luigi shouted.

Soon the three friends were laughing and splashing each other silly. Sora hasn't had this much fun in a long while. The excitement was building in him for every splash he made. It was a time of piece for them, not worrying about giant doors or finding away home. They haven't had this much fun in a good while. Toadsworth chortled as he watched the trio splashing each other silly.

Sora dove underwater and swam around in it for a few moments. All though it was hard to keep his eyes open, it looked so beautiful underwater. The sun's light reflected it beautifully underneath. He returned to the surface, gasping for air as he came out. However, the moment he came out, Luigi and Yoshi tackled him back underwater. Sora pushed them both away and once again returned to the surface making a cocky grin on his face.

"That's it!" Sora grinned. "Get ready for a keyblade splash attack!"

Sora took out his weapon, the keyblade. It was a magical weapon that was both a sword and a key at the same time. The handle was grey with a square around it that was yellow. In the back was a chain with a silver mushroom on the end of it. The blade itself was grey. Sora spun it around creating giant waves that towered over Luigi, Yoshi, and Toadsworth. They felt their jaws drop as the waves came right for them.

"Yikes!" Yoshi cried.

"Holy macaroni!"

"Good heavens!"

The giant wave managed to topple the three residents of the Mushroom Kingdom. They felt the water hit them like a ton of bricks with a lot of hard pressure. The waves from the water soon died down with Sora stopping the spinning and putting his keyblade away. He looked up to notice Luigi and Yoshi making an evil glare at him. Toadsworth, who was still on the grass was also soaking wet. Sora nervously chuckled, slowly backing away.

"Oops, too much, huh?" Sora chuckled nervously.

"Oh, we'll give you too much," Luigi said. "Get him!"

Luigi and Yoshi both chased Sora around the lake, who was swimming as fast as he could. Toadsworth checked his journal to see if Sora managed to soak the pages, but luckily everything was fine. Not too long after, the trio got out of the lake, tired from all the excitement. Unfortunately, they had no towels to dry themselves off, but the heat would make a nice substitute. The four continued down the path as the sun finally disappeared over the horizon, revealing the beautiful night sky.

They heard the crickets softly chirp all around the area. The night sky was warm with a small breeze that past through. Toadsworth was a little concerned about a few clouds that were about in the sky, but decided not to worry. The group continued until they arrived at an intersection of the path that went off in three separate directions. Luigi's eyes widened in shock upon seeing this.

"Are you kidding me?" Luigi exclaimed. "You mean there's a stupid intersection out here?"

"Oh, dear, this doesn't look good," Toadsworth said worryingly. "Jr could have taken any of the paths that stand here before us. This means it won't be easy to seek him out."

"And after all that running we're back to where we started," moaned Luigi. "No leads whatsoever."

Sora sadly looked down each path. Jr contained the key that might have been their hope to find Mario. And since both Mario and Riku were trapped inside the door of Kingdom Hearts, it was pretty possible that Riku would have been with him too. Sora would have then enjoyed going back to the islands to see Kairi again. Yoshi noticed the boy's saddens and jumped into Sora's arms, licking his face to cheer him up.

"Aw, Sora no be sad," Yoshi said warmly. "We find bad boy and help Sora find Riku and Kairi."

"That's right, Master Sora," Toadsworth nodded in agreement. "We're going to get through this thing together. Sometimes a person alone can't get the job done."

Sora smiled, reassured by his friends, knowing that they would still be by his side to help him on his journey.

"Remember? All for one?" Luigi reminded Sora. "There is no way we're going to leave your side now. Why, we'll search until our hair turns white."

"For you that's only a year away." teased Sora.

"With the way you two drive me insane it will happen sooner than you think." chuckled Luigi.

Everyone else also laughed at the comment. Sora felt his spirits rise a little bit from the talk, knowing giving up now was not an option. Luigi, Toadsworth, and Yoshi always made him feel better, and if he was out here alone, he didn't know what he'd do. He was really glad they were here.

"Thanks guys." Sora smiled.

Yoshi all of a sudden gave a big yawn right in front of everyone.

"Well, looks someone could use forty winks." Luigi chuckled to Yoshi.

"But I not tired," Yoshi yawned sleepily. "Honest."

"No excuses," Luigi said. "Because the proof is in the pudding."

"Pudding? Where?" Yoshi asked excitedly.

Luigi rolled his eyes, "Never mind."

Everyone was very tired and decided to turn in for the night. They would decide on a path to take tomorrow morning. Yoshi slowly walked around in a circle so he could get into a good position to lay down. He slowly brought his body down until he was lying flat on his stomach. He then curled himself into a ball and closed his eyes, giving a slight yawn.

Luigi placed his hat on the ground and soon enough rested his back on the ground, with his head rested on his hat. He felt himself relax from all the pain he felt from walking so much. Sora did the same thing, except with out the hat part. Before he closed his eyes he looked up at the stars that twinkled brightly in the sky. It would remind him of when he, Riku, and Kairi would lay on the warm sand, looking up at the beautiful stars together.

He imagined the sounds of the waves lightly hitting the shore of the beach. The warm air would flow through their faces. It would be very quite and it was a great moment indeed. He would look over to see Kairi looking at him with her beautiful blue eyes and red hair. He then see his friend Riku who was the calm, cool type, fantasizing about other places that resided out there besides the one he lived in. He remembered how life back then was so simply, but now it has turned into this. Of course, Sora didn't mind this change because he finally got the chance to visit other worlds, but it saddened him that Riku and Kairi weren't with him.

"Good-night, Sora," Luigi said. Sora shook his head as he was brought out of his day dream. "Good-night, Toadsworth. Good-night, Yoshi."

"Good-night, Luigi," Sora replied. "Good-night, Yoshi. Good-night, Toadsworth."

"Good-night, masters." Toadsworth said.

"Good-night, Toadsworth," Yoshi said. "Good-night, Luigi. Good-night, Sora. Good-night, John Boy."

"Huh?" Sora and Luigi said in unison.

Yoshi lightly giggled, "Sorry, always wanted to do that."

The group of friends sighed and went into a nice peaceful sleep. Sora, however couldn't sleep. He was missing Riku and Kairi everyday of his life. How he longed to see them again. How he longed to be with Kairi forever and return the lucky charm she gave him. He also wanted to know if Riku was going to be okay from being locked in the door of Kingdom Hearts. It wasn't fair, he thought. Why didn't he return to the island like everyone else said he would. Many riddles entered his mind, wondering how this could have happen? He also wanted to know more about this strange man he encountered from Hallow Bastion. With so many thoughts running through his mind he couldn't sleep a wink.

Sora sat up and shook his head. Turning to the right, he noticed Luigi and Yoshi were having a peaceful sleep. Luigi was snoring rather loudly, but was also mumbling pleasurably to himself.

"Hm, spaghetti," Luigi said happily. "Ah, ravioli. Oh, fettuccine." He then sighed dreamily. "Ah, mama-mia."

Sora snicked lightly upon seeing that. He knew that Luigi couldn't stop thinking about pasta, awake or asleep. Sora felt like he could relate to Luigi because he could not stop thinking about Kairi. He went through his pocket and pulled out a star shaped pendent. He held it up towards his right eye, which blocked the view of the moon. It was colored pink with a smile on the top point of it. In the middle was a crown shape object, and each point had holes in it, with string looping through each.

"Kairi..." Sora sighed softly and sadly.

"Trouble sleeping, Master Sora?" called a voice. Sora noticed Toadsworth looking over at him. In the elder's hand, he held a journal. He had it opened and was looking at it, but noticed something wrong with Sora.

"You need to get rest, Master Sora," Toadsworth instructed. "You'll get sick if you stay up late."

"Look who's talking," Sora chuckled with his famous smile. "An old guy like you needs plenty of rest."

"Oh, don't mind me," chortled Toadsworth. "I'm just compiling the journal of our travels, and it is one astonishing piece of literature I've created."

Sora moved over next to Toadsworth and looked at it. There were so many pages that it made long books like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings look like nothing.

"Man, Toadsworth, you sure have written a lot." Sora said in amazement.

Toadsworth lightly chortled, "Oh, thank you, Master Sora. I say it wasn't easy to write. Using my trusty pen I had to write down everything single detail. I'm sure Princess Peach would love to here about our adventures when we get back. After all since she did give me the task of chronicling our journey, I must stick to that order."

Sora slowly put his head down.

"Some bothering you?" Toadsworth asked concerned.

"Riku, Kairi, and I were going to build a raft," Sora said softly. "That raft would have taken us to other worlds, but I never thought something like this could happen. Being separated from them, fighting giant black creatures called the heartless with a giant key, and being thrown into other worlds."

"Are you saying that's a bad thing?" Toadsworth said a little upset.

"Oh, no, nothing like that," Sora said shaking his head. "I've had a ball traveling to all those cool worlds, meeting new faces, and fighting bad guys. I especially enjoyed being with you, Luigi, and Yoshi." He then put his head down. "I just wish Kairi and Riku were here so we could enjoy the adventure together."

"Ah, yes, I remember," Toadsworth nodded understandingly. "You made a promise to Kairi, didn't you?" Sora nodded. "And Riku was sealed in the door along with Master Mario. I can understand since Riku is your childhood friend, and Kairi...well...you and her seem to have a special relationship going."

Sora blushed bright red, "Wh-what are you talking about?"

Toadsworth laughed, "Don't be embarrassed, Master Sora. That's how love can start out the first time around. But when you feel more comfortable about it, that feeling of embarrassment will become less and less."

Sora saw visions of him and Kairi being torn apart by the islands.

"_I'll come back to you," _said his own voice in his head. _"I promise."_

"_I know you will!" _Kairi responded.

Sora could never forgive himself if he ever broke the promises he made to Riku and Kairi.

"_Take care of her." _whispered Riku's voice.

Sora looked back at Toadsworth, "Do you think we'll ever find our way home?"

Toadsworth rubbed his moustache. He was in deep thought for the moment, wondering if they really would get back home. He then turned back to Sora, a bit of an unsure look in his eyes.

"Honestly, I don't know," Toadsworth responded. He then smiled. "But if we believe in ourselves and never give up, we're bound to find a way back to our loved ones." He then looked over at Luigi and Yoshi.

Luigi and Yoshi were right next to each other and Yoshi was dreaming of eating piles and piles of food. He started to lick the food, unaware that in reality he was licking Luigi's face. Luigi, in his dreams thought his girlfriend Daisy was kissing him all over.

"Oh, Daisy," Luigi said dreamily. "I could get kisses from you all day."

Sora giggled to himself upon seeing that. Toadsworth also lightly chortled.

"They too are thinking about finding Master Mario and returning back to our vast kingdom," Toadsworth continued. "We won't stop searching until they're as good as found. But until that time comes, don't sulk over it, Master Sora. Let's enjoy the journey we're on right now."

Sora smiled at Toadsworth, "Thanks, Toadsworth."

Toadsworth then gave a big yawn and put his journal away.

"Well, I'm going to turn in." Toadsworth said sleepily.

Sora slowly rose to his feet and stretched his arms out.

"I'm not that sleepy, so I'm going to take a little walk." Sora said.

"Well, don't wander off too far," Toadsworth advised. "We need to stay together."

"I won't." Sora complied. He then walked off. "Good-night, Toadsworth."

Toadsworth rested his back on the grass and soon enough fell asleep. Sora walked over to the crossroad with four different directions. He looked up at the night sky again, noticing some clouds were starting to form. This made him wonder if a storm was about to occur. He then turned his attention back to the crossroads. Sora contemplated about which path they should take next. He didn't know what awaited at end, and they couldn't split up as they could end up getting lost.

Sora decided not to worry about it now and head back to the spot with the others. Something didn't feel right though. He felt like he wasn't the only person on this path. He felt like somebody was slowly breathing down his neck, ready to strike him at any given moment, leaving him helpless to defend himself.

"So, you are a child who searches the realm of light to find something." said a low male voice coming from behind.

Sora gasped and quickly turned around, noticing nobody was there. Sora felt his heart raise in a pinch, making him really nervous. Was somebody else really out here?

"Okay, that wasn't Luigi, Yoshi, or Toadsworth," Sora said nervously. "Maybe I'm just hearing things."

"Is what anything we hear reality or a dream?" said the voice again. "Perhaps it is all in your head, but voices through the head can only be heard through your thoughts. So, how can you be thinking of these words you hear right now?"

Sora quickly turned around to see a dark coated figure standing in front of him. Sora gasped in complete horror upon seeing the strange man. He wore a dark zipped up raincoat, with the hood covering his face, complete with dark gloves and boots. Around his neck was a silver like chained neckless. Sora has seen this person before. He was the hooded figure that he and his friends encountered from Hallow Bastion.

"Hey, you're that guy from Hallow Bastion!" Sora cried as he drew the keyblade.

The man simply looked at Sora with a bit of question, "I can assure you that this is the first time we've met."

"Yeah, right," Sora said sarcastically. "What makes me think I'll believe you after you nearly got us killed?"

"I agree that the person you've met before was wearing the clothing you see before you, but who was behind it was a completely different person." the man explained calmly.

Sora was baffled by his words. There apparently was more than one of the same type of person wearing these dark cloaks. This got the boy nervous as he barely survived his battle against the cloaked figure, but now he had to deal with more than one? Sora tightly gripped his keyblade, thinking the man was going to attack him.

"So, you are in search of something important to you, are you not?" the man asked. "You travel the countless worlds that reside in the sky in search of someone who brings you happiness and joy."

Sora was even more shocked as to how this man knew what he was looking for. It was like the hooded figure took a look inside of Sora's thoughts and discovered all of his dreams and desires.

"Man, it's like you read my mind." Sora said in astonishment.

The man simply put his hand out to the path behind him, "Ahead on this path lies something you hold dear."

"Something I hold dear?" Sora repeated in confusion. The first words that popped into his mind were Riku. Could the thing that is lying ahead really be Riku? Sora felt a little excited about this, but wasn't trusting the strange figure. "Is there really something there?"

"But of course," the hooded figure responded with a nod. "It awaits your arrival right down that path."

Sora then really felt excited. This could mean that Riku could really be there. The hooded figure ended his excitement with something he said next that imputed more riddles into Sora's mind.

"But in order to claim it, you must lose something first, something you hold onto closely." the man continued.

There was a catch to this, Sora thought. But he didn't understand what the man meant by losing important. Was it the keyblade? His friends? The charm? All of these questions left Sora completely stumped, but he didn't know rather to trust the man in black. After all that happened at Hallow Bastion he wasn't too sure he could take the words of a person who wore the exact clothing as someone who almost killed them. Before Sora could respond, the man disappeared into the path set before him.

"Wait!"

It was too late, he was long gone. Sora still didn't feel like trusting this person, but at this point he knew that it was the only lead he had. Sora ran over to his friends who were sound asleep and began to excitedly wake them up.

"Guys!" Sora cried. "Quick, wake up!"

Luigi and Yoshi slowly began to open their eyes, both a still dazed.

"Mommy give me five more minutes," Luigi said drowsily. "School isn't starting for another hour."

"Is it Christmas already?" Yoshi yawned.

"Come on!" Sora shouted.

Luigi sat up and yawned, feeling the drowsiness slowly die down. His eyes still felt heavy as he didn't get enough sleep. He turned to Sora while moaning.

"Hey, what's the idea of waking me up from my beauty sleep?" Luigi moaned tiredly at Sora.

"Luigi, I think I have stumbled onto something." said Sora excitedly.

"That impossible," Yoshi said shaking his head. "Luigi the one who always stumbling onto things."

"Hey!" Luigi said angrily at Yoshi.

Toadsworth walked over to the trio, lightly rubbing his left eye.

"What is going on around here?" Toadsworth asked drowsily. "What is with all the chit chatter?"

"I think I know where we can find Mario and Riku." Sora said excitedly.

The others all looked at Sora, a bit confused about his words.

"A-are you sure?" Luigi asked.

"Positive!" Sora answered. He then pointed to the path way to the right of the crossroads. "We just need to go down the pathway!"

"What makes you so sure, Master Sora?" Toadsworth asked suspiciously. "Did you find a lead?"

"I sure did," Sora responded. "I met some guy who told me."

"What guy?"

"I don't know, but he told me that something we seek is down that path." Sora shrugged his shoulders.

"Then let's go!" Yoshi cheered.

"Hold up!" Luigi said, stopping an excited Yoshi. "What if this is a trap?"

"You could be right, Master Luigi," Toadsworth nodded in agreement. "But on the other hand this is the first time we had a lead on anything and we should investigate any leads we get. Besides, Jr could have been leading us into a trap when we followed him, regardless if the letter was indeed from Master Mario or not. Maybe we should consider this option."

"Come on, Luigi!" Sora begged. "We need to check it out!"

Luigi as always didn't like idea. He knew that something horrible could happen, but he felt like it was something to be done. He didn't know why, but he too wanted to check it out. Sighing, Luigi nodded.

"Well, let's go check it out, then." Luigi said.

Yoshi cheered as Luigi said yes to their answers. Finally, something good was happening to them, but they didn't know what would really lie waiting for them. It was a risk they were willing to take to find their loved ones. Toadsworth got on Yoshi's back and the four dashed down the path at top speed, hoping they would be able to arrive at wherever it was that they were going soon.

About ten minutes later, the four friends notice a white bridge at the end of the trail, which seemed to lead onto a floating white island. They ran over to it and carefully crossed it, watching for anything unusual as they went. As they stepped off the bridge they walked onto a giant part of the island. Sora looked over the edge to notice endless darkness all around them. Luigi and the others also looked around the area, very perplexed by the place they arrived on.

Yoshi gasped in shock at what he saw ahead.

"Look!" Yoshi cried.

The others looked ahead to notice a giant castle in the distance at the end of the white trail. It had a very eerier feeling to it that send shivers up the heros spines. Luigi was nervous the most. His knees started wobbling in fear and his teeth were shattering.

"Spooky old castles," Luigi shivered nervously. "Those are a few of my least favorite things. M-maybe we should hightail it out of here."

"You were the one who said we should come here." complained Sora.

"That's before we were going to end up at a spooky old castle," Luigi gulped nervously. "And I'm allergic to spooky old castles, haunted houses, and other things that have spooky in the name."

"Come on, man," Sora whined. "We got to check it out!"

"Well, you go do that, and I'll wait for you here." Luigi said.

"That wouldn't be a good idea," Toadsworth objected. "At this current moment you must realize we have no place for shelter." He then looked up at the sky to notice rain clouds forming. "And I think it is about to rain, so we may need a place to stay warm and dry."

"Don't be silly," Luigi disclaimed. "There is no chance it's going to..." All of a sudden the four felt drops of water fall on top of their heads. Soon those few drops turned into hundreds of little drops. It had started raining right before their eyes. They felt the water was very cold on their skin as it poured down on them "...rain."

"Well, you might as well consider going in, Luigi," Sora said as he put his hood up. "I'm not sticking around here just because you're afraid of everything."

"I am not!" Luigi argued.

Just then a lightning bolt with an ear shattering sound of thunder impacted the ground next to Luigi, who screamed and jumped into Sora's arms. He notice Sora was giving him an "I told you so" look.

Luigi laughed sheepishly, "Okay, so I'm afraid of everything."

"Let's press on or else we could catch a cold from this." Toadsworth announced.

The four quickly made their way down the path, heading right towards the strange castle in the middle of nowhere. The castle itself had a light brownish color all around it. In front of it was a giant door with a blue outline around it. Around the door was a strangely deformed shape that supported the door. Strange symbols were all around that part of the castle. On each corner side were two light blue spikes that stuck out on it. All around it more light blue spikes were stuck around the sides of the castle. Sora saw many murals on windows all around it. At the top of it was another giant blue spike and a small window, which Sora could have sworn he saw someone, but decided not to worry about it.

The four ran up to the door and prepared to enter it, unaware that their next adventure was about to begin. But what is that Sora and friends will lose and gain from entering this castle? They were oblivious to the fact a new danger was lurking in the castle, a danger that may destroy them. But what was it? And will Sora really find Riku inside this castle? All those answers would be revealed as he journeys through a castle of oblivion.

**Chain of Memories: The Nintendo Version**


	2. Welcome to Memory Island Part I

**Chapter I: Welcome to Memory Island Part I**

Sora and the gang arrived at the door to the strange castle. The four looked up at the castle, their mouths dropped from seeing how huge it was. Luigi had this weird feeling that his brother was here. He didn't know why, but it was like an instinct, he just knew. Sora gripped the handles of the door, ready to open it. He slowly took a deep breath and opened the giant door. He heard it give off an irritating screech that caused his teeth to grit.

The boy slowly peaked his head into the door, noticing the room was completely white with a little mixture of blue. Sora noticed the pattern in the middle of the room which appeared to be a small letter I shape, with the circle connected to the rectangular part. A smaller white rectangle filled in the large rectangle on the outside. Inside the circle was a sun shaped pattern. Sora noticed large round supporters at each edge of the room, which supported the castle. He also noticed a statue like objects all around the room that appeared to like the top of a castle, with four little bricks that stuck out on top. They were pushed out so they could support a white rose type of object.

All on the walls seemed to be models of roses that stuck out everywhere. At the end of the room was a small stairway that went up onto a platform with a door next to it. The doors were actually golden gates and a white light seem to come from it. Sora slowly moved his head left and then right. It was quite, he thought. A bit too quite. He gestured the others to come on and they all walked in, leaving the door open. They heard the rain drops pound on the castle and from outside as well. The thunder bellowed from the outside as they walked towards the center of the room.

Sora took off his hood and felt the warmth of the room help him dry off. Luigi took his hat off and squeezed the water out of it. Like a dog, Yoshi shook his body around, getting the water off which hit Luigi and Sora.

"Yoshi!" they both shouted.

Yoshi stopped and looked to see both were soaking wet again.

"Oops, sorry." Yoshi giggled sheepishly.

The two wiped their faces to get the water out of their eyes. Toadsworth looked around the strange room, intrigued by what he was seeing.

"Goodness, I've never seen a castle quite like this before." Toadsworth said in aw.

Luigi looked around the room, "Yeah, it's just dull in here. Only colored in white, and you'd think they'd add a little more color to it."

Yoshi then cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted, "Hello! Is anybody home?"

The group heard Yoshi's voice echo throughout the entire room. There was no response at all.

"Nobody is home," Luigi sighed with relief. "Good, cause I'm not planning on running into trouble, and we're always running into trouble."

"But is Luigi sure it is a good idea to just bust in here?" Yoshi asked Luigi unsure. "What if someone taking nap and then they come down here to find us?"

"Then we'll just say we were delivering a pizza," Luigi responded. "Anything to get into that castle."

"Why are you so determined to go through here?" Sora asked curiously.

"Well, we got to find my brother so..."

Yoshi's eyes widened in surprise, "What? Is Mario here?"

Luigi shrugged, "Maybe, maybe not. I just have this weird feeling he's here."

"It weird," Yoshi said rubbing his head. "Yoshi somehow think the same thing."

"No way!" Sora exclaimed. "So did I! The moment I saw this castle I felt like Riku and Mario were here."

"What a coincidence!" Yoshi said in amazement. "Great minds must think alike."

"Great minds?" scoffed Luigi.

"Hey!" Sora and Yoshi shouted angrily at Luigi.

Luigi laughed, "Ha! Only joking!

"Not so fast, masters," Toadsworth said as he walked over. "This can't be more than mere coincidence."

"Toadsworth!" Luigi gasped in shock. "Don't tell me that..."

"Indeed, I felt it, too!" Toadsworth said. "It's too strange for us to all feel it at the exact same time."

"Maybe it contagious." Yoshi assumed dumbfounded.

"Well, if it was I obviously caught if from you three," Luigi said worryingly. "You know I'm the cautious one. I think something funny is going on, and when something funny goes wrong, I panic. And when I panic I run for the first door I see. So, let's get out of here while we're still alive."

Sora ran forward and headed towards the gates.

"Sora, where are you going?" Luigi asked the boy.

"We have to check it out!" Sora said excitedly. He then made a grin at Luigi. "What's the matter? Scared?"

"And proud of it," Luigi responded nervously. He then took a deep breath, sighing slowly. "But maybe it's okay to be scared when you enter a new place that looks foreign."

"I was only kidding," Sora smiled. "But with the four of us together we should have no problems."

"Let's-a-go!" Luigi cried.

"Perhaps we should close the door first," suggested Toadsworth. "It feels a bit nippy in here and it's rude to leave a door open."

"I get it!" Yoshi said excitedly. He then ran off to close the door.

The others began to make their way to the gated door when they heard Yoshi cry out for help.

"Sora!" Yoshi screamed frighteningly.

The trio turned to see Yoshi was running towards them as fast as he could. Luigi walked over to him, only to get knocked down by the dinosaur. Luigi groaned as he felt all of Yoshi's weight on his back.

"Please, get off of me." groaned Luigi.

The two stood back up, brushing themselves off from the dirt. Luigi noticed Yoshi was shivering in fear. The man knew something was seriously wrong.

"What's the matter with you?" Luigi asked curiously.

"Look!" Yoshi pointed in fear.

Luigi turned and gasped upon who he saw. Sora and Toadsworth also gasped upon who they saw. The strange hooded man Sora met from the crossroad was standing right in front of them. Luigi's heart started raising upon seeing the strange figure. He wasn't ready for another go at the strange guy from Hallow Bastion, though he didn't realize this wasn't the same one from the castle of darkness.

"Oh, no!" Luigi shouted in fear. "It's that jerk from Hallow Bastion! Run for your lives!"

"Um, run to where?" Sora asked raising his eyebrow in quirk. "He's blocking the only exit."

Luigi quickly thought of a way they could get the hooded guy out of the way. His mind then clicked like a lightbulb turning on with an idea.

"_Of course! I'll just give him a taste of my thunder magic and that's sure to scare him!" _Luigi thought with glee.

He then bravely got his vacuum like weapon, the Poltergust 3000 out and pointed it right a the hooded man. Sora couldn't believe his eyes, Luigi was going up against the same hooded guy that almost killed them. He must've been out of his mind.

"Foolish guy in the hood, stand back!" Luigi cried heroically. "Or prepare to get a taste of pasta power, and nobody likes to deal with pasta power."

Luigi noticed the cloaked figure calmly stood his ground, his arms crossed. He didn't flinch or budge. Luigi knew that it was now or never, as it was their only chance to escape. Luigi raised the tube part of the vacuum and cried out for a magic spell.

"Thunder!" Luigi commanded.

Nothing happened. Everyone else looked at Luigi, who stood there, frozen like an ice cube. He was left perplexed as to why his thunder spell wasn't working. Luigi shook the tube, hoping to force something out.

"Hey, what's-a-going on here?" Luigi said, violently shaking the tube. "Thunder, thunder, THUNDER!"

"Heh, looks like you finally lost your touch." smirked Sora.

"I did not!" Luigi complained. "Fire, blizzard, Cure, Gravity!" He then groaned. "What's going on? Why can't I use any of my magic?"

Sora took his keyblade out and also tried to use magic. He too could not use it at all. Something was seriously wrong here. Both Sora and Luigi not being able to do magic was more than just a mere coincidence. The boy faced the hooded figure with sweat pouring down his face nervously. Did they really fall into a trap? His heart started to rise in an instant. He quivered at the sinister person who seemed to give off a sense of evil. The hooded figure slowly walked forward a little, causing the others to slowly back up. The hooded figure shifted his eyes on Luigi to answer his question.

"I think it most obvious," the man chuckled lightly. "The moment you set foot in this castle, every ability and spell you learned gets whisked away from your minds." Everyone gasped in horror. "Though the lost of memories doesn't stop there."

Luigi and Yoshi screamed in fear, realizing that they could lose more than just remembering abilities and magic. The two quickly tried to force their way to the exit, but upon trying to go around, the hooded man created a powerful wind, sending the duo flying who then crashed into Sora. Toadsworth ran to their aid to make sure they were okay.

"Masters, are you okay?" Toadsworth asked concerned.

The trio sat up and rubbed their heads.

"I'm not okay!" panicked Luigi. "Could this guy mean we could forget everything?"

"Oh, no! Yoshi already forgetting what he just forgot!" Yoshi exclaimed stupidly.

"What?" Luigi said confused by what Yoshi just said.

Sora stood back up and faced the hooded figure.

"Explain yourself!" Sora demanded. "What the heck are you talking about?"

"How rude," the hooded man said jokingly. "I invite you into my home and this is the thanks I get." He noticed Sora had a serious glare in his blue eyes. Clearing his throat, the man continued. "Hm, such determination. Here in this castle to find is to lose and to lose is to find. That is the way of things in Castle Oblivion."

"Castle Oblivion?" Sora asked curiously.

"He speaking in tongues!" Yoshi abruptly pointed at the man.

The man crossed his arms again, "Believe what you want reptile, but know this; in this castle you shall meet people you know. People you miss who have been scattered away from your heart. A memory of that person you hold onto tightly, and never wish to let go will be a reality before your eyes."

"What are you talking about?" Sora shouted. "There's no one here I..." He then right away knew who this man was talking about. Sora felt really excited as what he speculated was true. "Riku! You mean Riku! He is here then!"

"Calm down, kid," Luigi said. "We're not too sure if he's here or not. Quite frankly, I don't trust this guy."

"I have to agree with Master Luigi," Toadsworth nodded. "It's hard to trust someone who caused nothing but trouble in our past endeavors."

"But I'll do anything to find Riku!" Sora argued. Tears began to form in his eyes. "I want to make sure he's alive! He's my best friend, and I won't just sit here and do nothing! I'd risk my life and take this guy's word for granted!"

Yoshi jumped into Sora's arms and licked his face, trying to calm him down.

"Don't worry, Master Sora," Toadsworth reassured him. "If you truly believe that Riku will be here, then we'll press on."

Luigi was about to say something, but stopped to think for a minute. Sora and Riku have known each other since they were little, making them feel like brothers to each other. Luigi knew that if Riku was here, his own brother would be here, too. He then knew that turning back was not an option, especially if you have a strong belief that somebody is here. Sora dried his tears and turned back to the hooded man.

"So, you wish to find him?" the hooded figure asked.

Sora walked down the stairs and walked up to the hooded figure, a sign of determination and confidence in his eyes. The hooded figure could see the fire burning right out of it.

"I see..." the hooded figure whispered. "Well, then..."

He then transformed into a faded image of himself. The image rushed right through the teenager, startling him from the impact. Sora felt the wind knock him over, making him land on his rear. Much like the last time, he felt the memories of his entire journey flash before his eyes, from the weird dream to him and Kairi being separated. He felt his head spin for a brief moment until it stopped. He turned his head around to notice the hooded figure standing before him. The others looked on in amazement to see the figure do that.

"Cool." Yoshi said in amazement.

"Ah, it's just done with trick mirrors." said an unconvinced Luigi.

Sora stood up and turned back to the hooded figure, a bit confused by what just happened.

"What did you just do?" Sora asked in surprise.

"I simply sampled the memories that lie deep inside of you," explained the man. "From within them, I created this." The hooded figure held up his hand and a card like object materialized in it. The card was rectangular with the top having spiky waves around it.

"A trading card?" asked a baffled Sora. "You mean this guy likes to play Yu-Gi-Oh in his spare time?"

"This is a promise," the man corrected. "Use this card to press on. With it, you'll surely find your friend."

Sora felt his heart beat faster than ever before. Could Riku really be here just as this man claims? Sora held the card up, ambiguous about what to do with it.

"So, do Sora slide it into somewhere like an ATM machine?" Yoshi curiously asked the man.

"Simply hold it before the door ahead of you, and beyond its confinement is a new world," the man concluded. "A world that you may or may not know. How you perceive it's presence will make you remember or forget. That is up to you."

Sora held the card up, "Right, so I hold it like this?"

"Exactly," nodded the figure. "Then go forth, Sora. To lose and claim anew, or to claim anew only to lose..."

"He speaking in tongues again!" Yoshi said.

The hooded figure then disappeared right before their eyes, fading back into nothingness of the castle. Luigi turned to Yoshi with a slumped face.

"Slide it into somewhere like an ATM machine?" Luigi asked monotonously.

"What," Yoshi responded in defense. "It could?"

"Well, whatever it is," Sora began to say. "I'm going through with this, regardless of what happens!"

Toadsworth sighed, worryingly, "Still, I still feel a bit of dread about this whole situation."

"No worry, Toadsworth," Yoshi assured. "Nothing bad going to happen."

"Still, Castle Oblivion," Toadsworth said in deep thought. "The name just doesn't sound promising to me."

"Come on!" announced Sora. "Let's go! I'm ready for whatever happens!"

Sora walked up to the door and held the card up, which caused the gate doors to flash brightly, their initial reaction to shield their eyes from the brightness. As the brightness slightly dimmed, the four noticed the gate was gone and a white light appeared on the other side of the door. Sora swallowed his throat, feeling a bit tensed, but excited at the same time. Closing his eyes, he stepped through the portal, causing him to disappear right before the residents of the Mushroom Kingdom's eyes. Yoshi and Toadsworth bravely nodded to each other, knowing what they had to do.

Toadsworth slowly walked through the portal, he too having his eyes shut. Yoshi bent his right foot up past his left leg, in front of it. He then bent his elbows back, getting into a pose ready to run.

"Entrance, stage right!"

Yoshi dashed into the portal, leaving Luigi behind. The plumber slowly approached the portal and tapped his finger into it. He then took it back out and looked around the room, seeing if nobody else was around. The man slowly tiptoed away from the door, hoping to escape when Sora and Yoshi's arms came out of the portal and grabbed Luigi's suspenders, pulling him into the door.

"Mama-mia!" he cried.

Sora held his eyes shut for a few minutes as he felt his body being pulled by a force of gravity, the wind blowing his hair backwards. He thought at any given moment his entire body would be pulled apart because of the strong force, but it wasn't. Soon, the boy felt the force stop and everything went calm. He still had his eyes closed, but he could tell right away the type of place he was at. He could hear the sounds of ocean waves calmly hit land. The warm sun embraced his face, making him slightly sweat from the heat.

The breeze was very light and warm, and the seagulls lightly chirped all around him. Sora slowly opened his eyes, only to gasp in total shock and confusion. Where he was standing was what appeared to be an island of some sort. The island contained a runway for an airplane, which Sora happened to be standing on. To his right, he noticed a small building with two way doors. The building had a bamboo like design and the top had four green triangles that went out in each separate direction. To the left of it were three blue tanks full of water.

This couldn't be real, Sora thought. Could it? The boy went down to the beach area and stuck his hand in the water, feeling the coolness from it. This wasn't a dream, this was the real place, wasn't it? He looked out to see a much larger island, practically quadruple the size of the airport he was standing on. He also noticed a huge volcano. This was the first world he came to after his island was destroyed.

"This can't be right!" exclaimed Sora. "This is Isle Delfino! It looks exactly how I remember it!"

"Indeed it does," said Toadsworth who popped out of nowhere. "I even see the amusement park I endeared so much. Maybe the whole event was a dream, or the sun was playing tricks on our minds."

"All four of us had the same dream then?" Sora asked in confusion.

"True, that is mentally impossible." agreed Toadsworth.

"It isn't reality that you see," called a sinister voice. "This island is an illusion conceived by your memories ingrained in that card you received."

The two turned to see the hooded figure appearing in front of them.

"Wait, if this is my memories, then how can we feel everything?" Sora wondered. "I mean, I can feel the water, the sun, and I can hear the sound."

"The card I gave you not only tapped into the visual detail of the island, but the sights, smells, sounds, and all those other parts stored into your memories," explained the man. "It may look like a real world, it may sound like a real world, it may act like a real world, but this world was born from your memories and is not the actually world."

"I see..." Sora whispered in astonishment.

Toadsworth looked around the island, noticing that not all heads were a counted for. He shifted his head left and then right, unable to find the other two missing members of their group.

"Never mind about how this has happened, Master Sora!" Toadsworth cried. "I think you should focus on the fact that not all of us our present."

Sora jerked his head left and right, worryingly noticing that both Luigi and Yoshi were not present at the moment. He quickly ran over to the edge of the runway, desperately calling their names. He then tried the other end. Still no luck. Sora was scared, knowing something bad may have happened to his mean green buddies. He angrily turned back to the hooded man, the keyblade drawn to his right hand.

"You!" Sora snarled at the man. "Tell me what you did to Luigi and Yoshi! If something happens to them I'll..."

"Please, settle down," the man said calmly. "Those two friends of yours are alive and well, but..."

"But what?" asked Toadsworth for an answer.

"Your two friends have become mercy of the cards," the hooded man said. "If you can master the cards, their power will be yours." Sora stood there, a bit confused. "Perhaps a demonstration is in order. Prepare for combat!"

"Toadsworth, stand back!" Sora ordered.

Toadsworth complied and ran over to the building to watch the battle. Sora called the keyblade into his hand and held the handle tightly with both hands.

"So, the weapon of light has appeared before me," the man said with an intrigued voice. "This should be most interesting. Now, the laws of this castle requires your friends to be cards."

Sora noticed a card from the sky floating down. It was the shape as the first card he used, but the picture he saw on it was one of Luigi's face. It slowly floated down to the ground, landing between the two. Sora noticed the picture and gasped in shock.

"Luigi!" Sora cried.

"If you value your friend, you shall pick him up with out fail." the man said.

Sora quickly ran to the center of the runway and grabbed the Luigi card. It then disappeared into a bright white light before the boy's eyes. Sora noticed something was flashing right below him. Fixing his eyes towards the keyblade, he noticed the Luigi card attached to Sora's keychain.

"Whoa!" said a startled Sora. "What the...?"

"Any card you pick up is added to the top of your stack," the man continued. "Your stack resides on the keychain of the majestic keyblade itself. Simply hold your keyblade out, calling his name to summon him."

Sora held his keyblade into the air, "Luigi!"

All of a sudden, a bright circle appeared in the middle of the area, causing Sora to shield his eyes for a brief second. The way this summoning was taking place reminded him of when Ash summoned his Pokemon at the Coliseum. Luigi appeared in a beetle position on the ground as the light dimmed. He had his eye closed, and was rocking back and forth.

"Luigi!" Sora cried happily. He then raised his eyebrow from seeing the awkward moment. "Um, what are you doing?"

"I'm scared of small, tight places!" responded Luigi.

"Get up!" snapped Sora.

Luigi quickly rose to his feet and groaned, "Crazy calzone, kid! You don't have to shout!"

"Okay, I summoned him, so now what?" Sora said with a stumped look.

"Command an attack so he can execute it." the man answered.

"Um, Luigi, thunder attack!" commanded Sora.

"Hey, don't you dare treat me like a Pokemon!" Luigi said offended.

"Look, you want to get through this thing, or not?" Sora said with a slumped look. "I'm all for keeping you in that card for the rest of your life if that's what you want."

Luigi, for the moment said nothing, but realized he didn't want to stay in that card for the rest of his life. Using the P3000, the man fired a thunder spell, which the hooded figure jumped back to avoid the attack. Right away, Luigi disappeared back into the card.

"Now what happened?"

"The cards that you used will vanish, but they will reappear to aid you time and time again," the hooded man responded. "After all the cards are the hearts of your friends." He then cleared his throat. "Now then, every action you make in this castle is dependent on a card. To attack, you need to use a card, to open doors that block your path, you need a card."

"Oh," Sora said in realization. "So would that mean I'd need a card to goto the bat..."

"Let's skip the details if you please," the hooded man interrupted sternly. "Now, don't forget about your own strengths such as rolling and jumping." He then pointed to the boy's keychain. "Your cards are located on your keychain, and for every strike you make, you lose one card. Try to attack me."

Sora gripped the handles of the keyblade tightly and slashed at the hooded man, who side stepped from the vertical slash.

"When you attack, this will cause one of your cards to disappear," the man said. "If you run out of cards, you will be unable to act in battle."

"What?" Sora complained. "That's not fair!"

"Do not threat," the man said. "There is a way to restore them, but in order to do so, you must first use them all up."

Sora nodded and began to swat his keyblade effortlessly at the man, who also effortlessly dodged the boy's attacks. Soon the cards on his keychain were all gone, and Sora found it impossible to even strike with his keyblade. He grunted as he tried his hardest, but was unable to. He felt as stiff as a rock trying to raise the keyblade one inch.

"There. Now all the cards are gone," the man pointed out. "Without the cards, the power is useless to you. In order to gain those cards back however, you must focus your power and mind. Bid the cards return to you and they shall."

Sora closed his eyes and concentrated on the his energy. He could feel something quickly move from his chest, all the way to his wrists where he held the keyblade. He continued this tactic for a few seconds more when he felt the energy in his wrist be released. Looking back at his keychain, he noticed he had all his cards back.

"How did I do that?"

"The strength of your heart brought back the lost cards. You can recall spent cards at any time, you need only wish it," The hooded man said. Sora nodded, understanding what to do. "But be warned; each time you run out of cards they will dive deeper and deeper into your heart, making it harder for you to call them back each time."

Sora moaned, _"Great. And just when things couldn't get any more complicated."_

"The cards are by no means unlimited," the man pointed out. "Use them wisely. Anticipate the flow of battle and choose the most effective cards. You may use any card in your deck. Each card has a different type."

"Trap cards, magic cards, monster card like?" Sora asked.

"No, there are four card types you use in battle, which are grouped into two wider categories," the man explained. "The first category includes attack cards, magic cards, and item cards. The second category consists entirely of enemy cards. Those you will obtain during your journey."

"Anything else I need to know?"

"Cards will empower you whether you are attacking or defending," the man continued. "But attacking or defending will be entirely up to you. Do not forget this."

"Gee, I guess I should be thankful," Sora said sarcastically.

"So, I see you still do not take total trust of my words," the man assumed. "Well, if you believe or not, know that you cannot escape the fate of the cards. They will stay linked to you no matter which way you traverse through this world, or the castle for that matter. It is your choice to use them or not, but choosing not to could lead straight to your downfall."

"I'll take my chances!" Sora cried bravely. "Anything for my friends!"

"Then I officially declare this little tutorial over." the man announced.

Toadsworth walked over and rejoined Sora's side, a bit intrigued by the whole card battle thing.

"Very strange way of fighting," Toadsworth said. "Using cards to determine your every movement of this castle. I don't know whether to say cool or say I don't like the whole thing."

"Now, bring back my friends!" Sora demanded.

"As you wish." the man nodded.

With a snap of his finger, a white glow flashed right above the teen who quickly looked up. The glow soon died down, revealing the shape of Luigi and Yoshi. As the light subsided, the duo appeared, suspended in midair. Sora gave a sigh of relief, thankful that they were okay, but realized they were right above his head. Soon enough they fell right on top of him, landing on the ground of the runway. Sora felt his chest hit the hard ground. He felt the weight of his two friends on his back.

"Guys!" Sora shouted. "Did you have to drop in on me?"

"Yoshi didn't do it," Yoshi said. "Honest! It was Luigi's idea!"

"What are you talking about?" Luigi snapped. "I don't even know what's going on around here."

"Wait, you guys don't remember what happened?" Sora asked as he stood up.

"Except for the part where you summoned me, not much," Luigi said rubbing his head. "All I remember is a bright light and then...everything else was a complete blank."

Toadsworth took out his journal and opened it up to a blank page. It was his job to get down as much as he could.

"Well, do try to remember because I need to keep my journal up-to-date." Toadsworth told Luigi.

"Toadsworth, do you have to put in details about every single thing we do?" Luigi said slightly annoyed. "Do you want to write down how many times I blew my nose today?"

"Well, anything is important for the notes," Toadsworth explained. "The princess needs to know everything."

"So, how did Luigi and Yoshi get here?" Yoshi asked as he looked around at the familiar site.

"Let me guess; the cards again?" Sora asked the man.

"That if for you to ponder," the man responded. "Master the cards as you make your way through the castle. Surely as you progress the knowledge of the cards will make you wiser and stronger in battle."

"Oh, and who Shirley?" Yoshi asked stupidly. "Is she in the castle too?"

Sora looked at Yoshi in confusion, "What?"

"Boy, from here on, you walk alone," the man continued, trying to get back on subject. "Only the room of the keys will allow you to have them appear. But throughout your journey, you fight alone."

"Luigi and Yoshi can't go with Sora?" Yoshi gasped in shock. He then got angry. "That no fair!"

Sora couldn't believe what he just heard. Only he alone had to embark on this journey throughout this world. Sora always depended on Luigi and Yoshi to help him in battle. Excluding a few one on one fights, Sora always felt stronger when the duo was with him. Now he had to go it alone, without their support. He felt heartbroken by this as well as the others.

"Look, bud," Luigi argued. "He may be the keyblade master, but if it wasn't for us, he'd been dead meat a long time ago. This kid can't do it without the two of us."

Sora angrily looked at Luigi, "Thanks a lot, Luigi."

"So, either we go, or it's a no show." Luigi concluded.

The hooded man slowly made his way towards Luigi which made Luigi feel threatened.

"Oh, no!" Luigi said nervously. "Don't try to threaten me!" Luigi then began flapping his hands around, doing fake karate moves. "I'm a deadly weapon, and I'll drive these fists all over you, you Darth Maul impersonator!"

"Cool it, man!" Sora said as he stopped Luigi. "I don't think we have a choice. I'll go alone if I have to."

"Will Sora be okay?" Yoshi whimpered with concern.

Sora stroke Yoshi's head, hoping to comfort the dinosaur from feeling scared that something bad may happen.

"Don't worry little buddy," Sora said warmly. "I'll be alright." He then turned back to the man with a bold look. "You want me to go alone? Fine! I can take care of myself!"

"Hm, the hero speaks boldly," the man said, slightly impressed. He then threw Sora two cards, who caught them "Go, then. The rest of Castle Oblivion awaits. As you walk the avenues of latent memories, you shall meet someone dear to you. Farewell for now."

The hooded man faded out before the eyes of the four friends, disappearing into nothingness. Luigi and Yoshi soon began to disappear as well.

"I'll see you two later." Sora told Luigi and Yoshi.

"Bye-bye, Sora." Yoshi said sadly with a wave.

"Be careful, kid," Luigi warned. "You're going it alone from here, and don't expect me to be helping you out of any messes."

"I'll be careful." Sora nodded.

Soon the two vanished right before the boy's eyes. It was going to feel weird to travel the world without Luigi and Yoshi. He's become attached to them, and he didn't feel like a whole without them. Toadsworth would be the only one to accompany him, but it would still feel quite without them.

"Well, let's get going, Toadsworth." said Sora to Toadsworth.

Toadsworth was still overly concerned with the whole idea of the castle. Something was gripping his mind tightly, and he couldn't let go of that feeling. A feeling that made him feel like trouble was upon them, and it wasn't pleasant.

"I am still concerned about this whole thing, Master Sora," said Toadsworth worryingly. "Are you sure you wish to proceed?"

"Relax, Toadsworth," Sora assured the elder. "I'm ready for any tricks he's got up his sleeve."

"But we are in his castle," Toadsworth pointed out. "Which means he is in control and we're playing by his rules. We could be falling right into his hands if we're not careful."

"How hard can it be?" Sora grinned with confidence. "We shouldn't have a difficult time figuring out these cards. All I have to do is stand in front of a door and use one. Easy as 1..2..3. Keep that attitude up and you'll end up having a personality like Luigi."

"Poppycock!" Toadsworth laughed. "I have a will of steel, unlike Master Luigi, but still...I just have a bad feeling. It could be my imagination, or maybe it's not."

"Well, let's move on then." Sora said as he ran forward.

The two walked over to the small tower at the airport. There, Sora noticed a door which was shaped like the cards. The outline of the door was colored red. Looking at his two cards, Sora saw the outlines were red and gold. He knew that the red one had to match the red door. Holding the card up, the door opened up, slightly flashing in their eyes. The two walked forward and entered the main plaza of Isle Delfino. The two looked in amazement, as they took the moment to reflect the memories of the world they first met on.

**World Name: Isle Delfino**

Sora and Toadsworth slowly strolled around Isle Delfino, noticing it looked exactly as how they remembered it. The building mostly about two floors tall, with some taller. The main building was shaped like a rectangle that extended along the inner part of the island. The two were in the middle of town where a small pool was with a dolphin labeled above it. It was connected to a building that had two circular floors. All around the area was palm trees on small spots of grass surrounded by floor boards. To the left of them was a tall building with a giant bell at the top. Another building almost as tall was to the right of it with a yellow flag on top.

Behind them was a gray statue of a strange round creature wearing a cape. Far off in the center of town was a giant monument of some type. The inner part of was shaped like a keyhole. On the round part was a sun like statue with black eyes. As the two slowly made there way to the left, Toadsworth looked around in concern.

"Strange, the residents of the island don't seem to be present," Toadsworth said suspiciously. "It's like a ghost town."

Sora noticed that none of the resident were walking around the area. It felt quite, too quite. Sora heard the breeze howl lightly throughout the area. Sora felt his spine tremble as he heard not a sound, except for the water which the waves gently hit the island from the side, slowly sliding his hands down his pockets.

"Yeah, it's almost too creepy," agreed Sora. "Look, let's just keep rolling. Finding Riku won't be easy at all."

"What if we happen to run into enemies?" Toadsworth asked Sora worryingly. "Are you sure you can handle this without Master Luigi and Yoshi?"

"Hey, I can handle anything this guy throws at me!" Sora said with confidence. "I'll take them all on with one hand tied behind my back."

Toadsworth all of a sudden noticed a small dark creature behind Sora. It was very small and walked on four legs. Its head was round shaped, and it had small yellow eyes. It bent its back down, getting ready to pounce the boy.

"A heartless!" Toadsworth cried in fear.

"Cut it out, Toadsworth," Sora chuckled. "You know when we closed the dark realm the heartless disappeared, right?"

"I beg to differ, Master Sora!" the elder cried. "Behind you!"

Sora turned around, only to feel a sharp pain to his face by dark claws. Sora got knocked back by the force, sending him right into a palm tree. He felt his back hardly hit the three and slide down it. The impact caused a coconut to fall off and hit the boy on the head. Sora grabbed his hands, trying to lessen the pain from the hard shell of the cocoanut. Sitting up, Sora's eyes widened in shock upon seeing the creature of darkness.

"It can't be!" exclaimed Sora.

"Oh, it can be, Master Sora!" Toadsworth said. "It's a full breathing, living heartless alright."

Sora called forth his keyblade and brought the handle part to his eye level, holding it like a samurai slowly brining his sword down the middle of his face.

"Living or not, I'm taking it out!" Sora shouted bravely. "Go, take cover!"

Toadsworth nodded, complying to Sora's instructions. He quickly ran behind the statue and slowly peaked out from behind, watching Sora fight for his life. The heartless readied itself by bending it's back down, ready to pounce again. As it leaped up, Sora did the same and held the handle of his keyblade tightly and violently slashed across the creature, disintegrating it into little black pieces that went on the ground.

As Sora landed on the ground, he held his keyblade up with a sign of victory.

"Ha! That's wasn't so bad!" Sora cheered. However, as he said this, five more shadows from the ground spawned right in front of him. "Perhaps I spoke too soon."

The heartless leaped at Sora, brining its claw down the boy who jumped back, avoiding the attack. As Sora landed, he slightly slid back and pressed his back against the statue. Sora charged forward again, cutting through the creatures of darkness with every ounce of his strength. Each blow he delivered depleted the number of cards he had on his keychain. One swatted at him, but he moved his head back to avoid it. Sora countered with a slash from over his shoulder, putting full force into the attack. The wind blew roughly from such a hard blow as it knocked the wind right out of the creature.

Sora ran forward with the keyblade in hand. As another heartless leaped at him, he jumped over it and slashed it from behind. The heartless spun back, but quickly leaped against a wall and kicked Sora back. The boy quickly slid back and charged forward again. He was about to attack when he couldn't bring the keyblade down. It felt like something was holding him back from doing so. The boy knew that he was out of cards, but remembered to relax and focus his energy. Sora closed his eyes and searched for the cards, feeling them slowly regenerate to his keychain. Before he could gain them all back, another heartless slashed him right in the face, knocking him into the ground, sending him sliding across the floor, his face feeling the pavement slide across his face.

As Sora quickly leaped to his feat, he saw more heartless coming right at him. The boy then noticed a card had magically appeared on the ground. Sora quickly ran and dove for the card, doing a somersault to grab it. As he stood back up, he saw the card had a picture of Yoshi on it.

"Yoshi!" Sora cried.

As the keyblade was rose into the air, a bright light emerged from it blinding the heartless for a brief second. As the flash died down, Yoshi appeared in front of Sora, looking around the area in confusion.

"Huh?" Yoshi said dumbfounded. "How did Yoshi end up here?"

"Hey, Yoshi," Sora called happily. "You're here!"

Yoshi turned and saw Sora standing behind him and waved to him, "Hi, Sora! Did you call Yoshi?"

"Yeah, can you take care of these guys?"

Yoshi gave a thumbs up, "Sora got it!"

A few of the heartless ran right for Yoshi, who stood ready for the assault. As one attacked him, he rammed his head into it, knocking it back. He quickly gave a one-hundred and eighty degree turn and knocked another one aside with his tail. He quickly turned the other way and kicked two aside. As another one charged at him, the little dinosaur ate the heartless, digesting them into his stomach. He then made some white eggs with green spots pop out from behind. He then grabbed it and threw it at a heartless' head, knocking it aside.

Meanwhile, Sora finished reshuffling his and his entire deck of cards returned to his chain. Soon, Yoshi ran out of time out on the field and left. Sora quickly slashed through the heartless, bashing them over the head with his keyblade, swinging at them violently. A few of the heartless tackled him to the ground, but he managed to shoo them off. Another one leaped at him, but he jumped into the air and kicked off it. He held the keyblade with both hands and turned around, slashing more heartless that came at him from behind in the air.

He landed and used one of his magic cards, fire, to finish the job. The fire moved like a bullet as it materialized in front of the blade and blazed the creature into dust. Soon the battle was over and Sora was victorious, but was too tired from the fight. Sora sat on the ground and slowly caught his breath, feeling sweat pouring down his face. Toadsworth ran to his aid, inspecting the boy to see if he was alright.

"Master Sora!" Toadsworth said worryingly. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah..." Sora said breathlessly. "Man, the heartless are so much tougher than all the other times we faced them."

"That is because Master Luigi and Yoshi's assistance usually helps get the job done," Toadsworth explained. "Even if they are just mercy of the cards, it isn't the full effect of having them here to fight all the time."

"But how come the heartless are here?" Sora asked a bit confused. "I thought we defeated the heartless!"

"Well, I believe it's because of your memories," Toadsworth theorized. "That resident of the castle said we'd meet people we know, but that doesn't mean it's not just friends. So, keep your guard up. They still are heartless, regardless of memory, and can still destroy you and take your heart if not careful."

"Well, I'm ready for them!" Sora grinned, unfazed by Toadsworth's warning. "I can handle it without Luigi and Yoshi! Just watch me!"

Sora ran forward and weakly stumbled over from the fighting. He felt a bit exhausted, but was able to slowly walk on. Toadsworth simply rolled his eyes and followed.

"This younger generation." he muttered under his breath.

Sora and Toadsworth continued down the island, looking at the beautiful environment they once traveled to and fro. On the way, more old friends attacked Sora, including soldier heartless, which could walk on two feet, had razor sharp metal claws, and wore funny metal helmets. They attacked Sora without thinking, waving their arms in the air as they attacked. Sora brought his blade down on one of them, which the creature blocked with its claws. It then pushed Sora back up and slashed him right in the stomach.

Sora gripped his stomach as he stepped backwards, clinching tightly from the pain. Sora angrily attacked with an horizontal slash, turning the creature into dust right before his eyes. As he landed, two more charged him, but he quickly did a front flip over them. As he was upside-down, he slashed both creatures into oblivion. Landing on his feet, he glanced over his shoulder to see five more coming at him. Sora quickly charged at them, feeling the sweat pouring down his face for every single breath he took. Two heartless leaped at him and slashed at him, but the boy leaped over the attack and landed on their heads.

He saw two more jump into the air at him, ready to pounce. He quickly pushed off of the two heartless that were holding onto his giant feet and flew at the heartless, giving a left jab and a right jab, destroying the creatures. He was unaware that the fifth heartless appeared from behind and slashed him in the back. Sora fell over and slid across the floor as he hit the ground. Standing up, Sora saw the three charge at him again.

"_Man, I didn't think using the cards would be this hard!" _Sora thought nervously.

Sora put his keyblade up as one of the soldieries clashed his claws with the blade. Sora firmly pushed it off and knocked it into the others. Taking the chance, Sora ran at the heartless with full speed and kicked the first one into the air. As it began to go up, Sora vertically slashed it down to the ground. He then spun his body around and knocked the other two back, combining it with the magic move blizzard, which froze them to death. Soon, Sora was once again victorious, but was barely able to survive the battle.

Sora also received a red card, which looked similar to the one he used to enter the strange doors. As he and Toadsworth continued, they noticed another door right next to what appeared to be a jail cell. He looked to his left and saw a market place area that sold all sorts of tropical fruits. As Sora walked over there, he felt his face bang into what appeared to be an invisible wall.

"Ow, my nose!" Sora cried.

Sora slowly moved back and rubbed his nose from the pain. Toadsworth approached Sora, a bit perplexed.

"What just happened?"

Sora placed his hand against the invisible wall and tried pushing in, but he couldn't get his hand to the other side of the area.

"Looks like some sort of force field." assumed Sora.

"Then I guess we have to go through those strange doors at the jail," Toadsworth said. "It's just as the man said. Every action we make is dependent on a card."

"Man, that's stupid." complained the key bearer.

"Well, whoever we're dealing with isn't about to make our journey easy," Toadsworth said. He then smiled. "But we've been in tougher situations before. We shouldn't let that get to us."

Sora nodded and walked over to the door that stood before him. Going through his pocket, he took out another card and held it before the door. They were soon consumed by the bright light and arrived at the market place. The market place had many different stands that had fruits up for sale. To the right of the two, they noticed the beach area. The waves were calm as they slowly hit the shore of the beach. Once again, there was no sign of any citizens. This confused the two greatly, but didn't decided to worry as more heartless attacked.

Sora used the keyblade to dispose of the creatures with slight difficulty. During the battle he reshuffled his deck, called Luigi and Yoshi in, and used helpful item cards to restore his cards without the use of shuffling. Sora was still having trouble disposing of the heartless. Perhaps maybe he regretted saying he could do it without his pals. Soon, he and Toadsworth arrived at another door after many fights later. Sora noticed the outline of this door was gold. He took out the golden card and held it up towards the door, causing a flash to appear.

As he entered the door, he and Toadsworth arrived at a small harbor area. The harbor had a small dock where small boats could come in and out of the area. All around the area was wooden boxes piled almost everywhere. The boy took the moment to catch his breath from all the fighting. His muscles already ached from the fighting.

"Master Sora?" Toadsworth asked in concern. "Are you okay?"

Sora gave a thumbs up to Toadsworth, "I'm alright, but I guess fighting alone isn't as easy as I thought."

"I told you, Master Sora," snapped Toadsworth. "I swear, you get in over your head too much!"

"Hey, take it easy," Sora said in surprise. "Okay, so I was wrong. But I still can't have them in battle with me." He then rubbed his chin. "I wonder where those two are anyways?"

All of a sudden, Luigi and Yoshi magically popped out right in front of Sora, startling him and Toadsworth.

"Egad!" Toadsworth exclaimed.

"Ahh!" Sora screamed. "Don't pop out of nowhere like that!"

Luigi rolled his eyes, "Like I have a choice? What do you want me to do, wave a sign that says, oh, look out Sora, I'm about to pop out of nowhere." He then rubbed his face. "Man, that is going to take some getting used to."

Yoshi jumped into Sora's arms and licked his face, happy to know the boy was okay.

"Sora! You okay!" Yoshi cried.

Sora laughed out loud as he felt the wetness of Yoshi's tongue lick his face clean.

"Hey, cut it out!" laughed Sora. "I'm okay! Honest!"

Yoshi then jumped off Sora and looked up at him, smiling.

"Gee, Sora's fighting get kinda rusty," Yoshi told Sora. "Sora sure he don't need Yoshi's help."

"I'm fine," Sora smiled. "Don't worry, I can handle this."

"Hm, talk like that and you'll be heartless fodder." called a voice.

Sora's group turned to their right to notice a man with brown long hair appear out of the shadows. He wore a grey leather jacket that went down to his back, a white shirt inside, black pants, and many colored belts around his waist. On his neck he wore a lion neckless and held a sword that looked like a gun in his hand. The four's eyes widened in excitement and surprise upon seeing him.

"I've seen the way you fought the heartless, and you barely survived the ordeal," the man explained. "Best be careful, kid."

"Leon!" the four said in unison.

Sora then ran over to him and looked up. The man looked oddly at Sora as though he's never seen him before.

"Hey, Leon, it's been a while, man," Sora said happily. "Glad to see you're alright." He then made a questioned look. "But why are you here in Castle Oblivion?"

The man raised an eyebrow in quirk, "Excuse me? Castle Oblivion? This is an island in the first place, and secondly, I don't even know who you are. I'm even more baffled at how you four know my name."

The four were a little confused about what was going on. This person was Leon, same voice, same personality, same exact person, but he somehow forgot who they were. At first, Sora thought this was some sick joke and decided to go along with it.

"Sure you did," Sora grinned. "Stop playing around, Leon! It's us! You know, the kid with the big yellow shoes, the green dinosaur that speaks in the third person, the old mushroom who worries about Princess Peach, and the klutzy guy with the moustache."

"I'm not a klutz!" Luigi snapped at Sora.

"See, Luigi already forgetting he a big klutz!" Yoshi gasped in shock.

"I am not!" Luigi protest. "I'm just not a klutz, period!"

"Master Luigi, do I have to go over the page that contains the number of times of your many collisions with solid substances and falling onto them?" Toadsworth butted in.

"What?" Luigi cried. "You actually have a page in your journal about the number of times I fell down."

"Indeed," Toadsworth nodded. He then looked through his journal. "Number 1; slipped on a banana peel. Number 2; ran into a tree. Number 3..."

Luigi quickly grabbed Toadsworth's mouth to shut him up while Yoshi started laughing. Meanwhile, Sora was still trying to convince Leon.

"Don't you remember?" Sora continued. "We fought heartless together! We've had many battles against each other. You know that, right?"

"Look, I don't know what you're talking about," Leon said with a shake of his head. "I don't even know your names."

"I-is Leon sure?" Yoshi asked sadly.

Leon nodded, "Sorry. Never seen you in my life."

Sora couldn't believe it. How could Leon have forgotten about all of their adventures together? They were good friends and friends don't forget each other. The boy put his head down, feeling heartbroken by this.

"I don't understand," said Sora upset "How could you have forgotten about us? All the adventures we had? How could you?"

"Calm down," Leon said calmly. "Look, I'm sure this was all a big misunderstanding. Perhaps you were looking for another Leon. Not the only Leon in the world you know." Sora put his head down even lower. "Please, don't take it so personally, Sora."

Leon froze upon saying that name. Where did it come from? It was like the name just popped into his mind unexpectedly. Sora looked up at Leon with lit eyes.

"Yo-you said my name!" Sora cried in surprise.

"That means you do know him!" Luigi abruptly pointed at Leon.

"Wait!" Leon said as he placed his hands over his eyes. "How do I know that name? Th-this can't be right!"

Leon was in complete confusion. Where did the name come from? He's never heard of or seen Sora before. He tried to think of Sora, but something was telling him he knew Sora. Yoshi was wondering if this was some cruel joke.

"Does Toadsworth think he playing joke?" Yoshi asked Toadsworth, a bit unsure.

"Well if he is, it's not very funny," Toadsworth answered.

"Yeah, they've been through so much together and that hit Sora hard," Luigi added. "The kid is heartbroken by that!"

"Who's playing a joke, Yoshi?" Leon snapped at Yoshi. "You and Luigi were the ones who..."

"Hey!" Luigi and Yoshi shouted in unison.

Leon felt his memories scramble in his mind, showing those names of them in his head. He saw overwhelmed by mixed memories that he stumbled over, with Sora quickly catching him.

"Leon!" Sora said worryingly. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah..." Leon groaned weakly. "My memories are screwing up for some reason."

"Do you need any help, sir?" Toadsworth offered.

"No," Leon said as he slowly stood back up. "I'm alright. It's just...everything in my memories is scrambling up. What's happening to them?"

"I dunno, Squall," called a female voice. "Maybe Aerith was onto something after all. There was always something funky about that girl."

Leon turned to someone who was walking out of the shadows.

"Yuffie, how many times do I have to tell you?" Leon told the figure in annoyance. "My name is Leon!"

A young girl with black hair appeared out from the shadows. She wore tight, short, white, shorts with a blue belt. She also had a white ban around her head and wore a green and white tank top.

"Geeze, don't have a cow about it," said Yuffie with a playful grin. "But she was definitely right about this uncanny power she felt. I agree, I thought she was nuts at first, but you know her and that magic mumbo jumbo of hers. But if what is going on right here isn't uncanny, then I don't know what is. But then again, this town is pretty uncanny itself."

"What do you suggest we do about these four, Yuffie?" Leon asked his friend.

"We should take Sora and his friends to see Aerith," Yuffie suggested. "She may be able to shed some light on the subject."

"Yuffie, you know my name!" Sora exclaimed.

"And apparently you know my name, too." Yuffie said.

"What a small world." Yoshi said.

Luigi looked at Yoshi with confusion by what he just said.

"Is he a friend of yours, then?" Leon asked Yuffie.

"Nope, total stranger," Yuffie said shaking her head. Sora and the others slumped over. "But I know their names without a doubt. Strange, yes, but convenient! I guess we can skip the introductions then."

"Boy, Yuffie, you really solved everything," Leon said sarcastically. "Just leave it to your friendly neighborhood ninja to crack this case."

"Leon!" Yuffie said putting her hands on her hips.

"Sorry, Yuffie, but I got a lot on my mind right now." Leon apologized.

"Eh, forget about," Yuffie said optimistically. "I'll head over to Pinna Park and fill Aerith in on the situation. Leon, you show these four around town."

"That's okay," Sora rejected. "We know where you guys live. The small little house on the edge of Pinna Park."

Yuffie walked over to Leon and leaned her mouth towards his ear, whispering.

"You don't think they're spies, do you?" Yuffie asked the man suspiciously.

"No, I don't think so." Leon said.

"Well, good, then I'm off," Yuffie nodded. "See you later, Sora, Luigi, Yoshi, and Toadsworth."

Yuffie then headed off towards the edge of the harbor. Leon turned his attention back to Sora and his friends.

"Well, I'll meet you three up by the house then," Leon said. "But be warned, the heartless are still running a muck. You'd best prepare yourself. May I offer you advise about the cards for a few moments?"

"Um, sure." Sora nodded.

"Aw, Yoshi hate lectures." complained Yoshi.

"Quite!" snapped Luigi.

"Anyways, the cards you carry are labeled 0-9," Leon began. "These will determine the outcome of a card break."

"What's a card brake?" Luigi asked.

"A card break is when you and an opponent use your cards at the exact same time," explained Leon. "Then, a card break determines who gets an advantage in attacking. Say for example you use a card labeled five and your opponent uses a four. You'd win the battle and the enemy is stunned for the moment. But on the other hand, if you use a four and your opponent uses a five, then you'd be stunned for the moment."

"That's not fair!" Luigi complained.

"Did you expect it to be a piece of cake?" Leon said rolling his eyes.

"Cake? Where?" Yoshi looked around excitedly.

"The number of cards there are is numbers zero to nine," Leon continued. "Zero is actually a powerful card. If you play it while your opponents card is in play, you can win any card break. Just don't be the first to play it. Also, you can stock three of your cards to save for a later use. When you use them, the sum of those numbered cards can be over nine, making it tough for a card break to occur. A interesting strategy to use."

"Hey, that's cool!" Sora said in amazement.

"Be careful, because when you stock the first card in, and can't be reshuffled into your deck until the battle is over," Leon warned. Sora frowned. "Don't worry, you'll manage. But know this; if you combined a certain number of cards in your stock, say you put in three cards labeled 3 on them, it may unleash a special ability known as sleights. These sleights are dependent on the combination of numbered cards you use. As I said, don't rely on sleights all the time as you may run out of cards to use. Think you got all that down, Sora?"

"I made a mental note of it," Sora responded. "I'll pick it up when I get into some real battles."

"Good, now any more questions?" Leon asked. Yoshi raised his hand. "Yes, Yoshi?"

"Can Yoshi use the bathroom?" Yoshi said frantically.

Sora, Toadsworth, and Luigi smacked their foreheads simultaneously. Leon just cleared his throat.

"Um, sure.." Leon said.

Yoshi then ran off towards the dock. Leon looked back at Sora and nodded.

"Well, I'll meet you up there," Leon said. He then went through his pocket and handed a blue card to Sora. "Here, I found this lying around. Put some good use to it, and remember what I told you."

"Thanks, Leon," Sora smiled as he took the card. Looking at it, he noticed the card had a picture of a boy with a red baseball cap on it. "Hey, it's Ness! Thanks, Le-"

He looked back up to notice Leon had already left. Turning to Toadsworth and Luigi, he smiled.

"Come on, guys!" Sora announced. "Let's go!"

"This is very strange indeed," Toadsworth said in suspicion. "Perhaps this is a set up by the inhabitants of Castle Oblivion."

"Or maybe when Sora remembers a world, he only remembers things about it," Luigi said in theory. "I mean, these people, these places are all illusions, right? Well, everything in this world is based off of Sora's memories, not everyone else's. They probably don't have any memories of Sora because they are illusions only seen through Sora's eyes, not the real thing."

"But then how do they know my name?" Sora asked with a stumped look.

"Kid, I don't have the answers to everything," Luigi responded. "Who do you think I am, Confucius?"

"No, more like Dirk the Daring." teased Sora.

"What? That klutzy knight from Dragon's Lair!" Luigi said. "I'm a better hero than him." He then looked over to the dock to see Yoshi facing the water. "WAIT, DON'T GO TO THE BATHROOM IN THERE!"

Luigi quickly leaped towards Yoshi, trying to stop him, unaware that he has already gone to the bathroom at a restroom. Yoshi was about to head back to the group when he saw a penny on the ground.

"Ooh, lucky penny!" Yoshi said in glee.

Yoshi bent over just in time as Luigi flew at him. The man flew over Yoshi and fell right into the water, creating a splash which hit Yoshi in the face. Sora and Toadsworth ran over to Yoshi while laughing to themselves. Yoshi shook the water off his face and looked at Luigi who angrily peaked his face out of the water.

"This no time for Luigi to take a swim," Yoshi told Luigi. "We need to go see Aerith!"

Sora and Toadsworth started cracking up at seeing Luigi in the water like that. The cold water dripped down his face.

"Yoshi I thought you...never mind," he moaned. He then noticed Sora and Toadsworth laughing from falling in the water. "Quit laughing and get me out of here!"

"Yes, your excellency." Sora said jokingly.

The trio of friends went down to help get their fourth pal out of trouble again. However, they were unaware that a stranger was lurking in the shadows. In his right hand he held a rather large paintbrush, with the brush part containing a glowing variety of multicolors that flashed on and off. It was too hard to describe who the person was, only that he had vicious glowing yellow eyes and a sinister giggled.

**To Be Continued...**


	3. Welcome to Memory Island Part II

**Chapter II: Welcome to Memory Island Part II**

A few minutes have gone by ever since the four friends encountered Leon again. Luigi was once again recovering from another one of his antics because he fell in the water at the dock. As he squeezed the water out from his hat, he glared at the others who were laughing slightly.

"Ha, ha, ha, very funny," Luigi said. "Laugh it up you three."

"Lighten up, man," Sora chuckled. "It's not like what happened was life threatening."

"Yes, it was quite funny, Master Luigi," chortled Toadsworth. "You've got to admit it was pretty hilarious."

"One of these days I will have the last laugh!" Luigi said loudly.

"And how many times have you said that?" said Sora rolling his eyes. He then made a serious look "Well, come on guys! We've got to head to Pinna Park!"

"By the way," Luigi began as he put his hat back on. "Are you sure you can handle using this card thing to battle? Why, if they used that kind of combat in a video game I wouldn't buy the game."

"Why do Yoshi sense irony right about now?" Yoshi mumbled to himself.

"Don't worry," Sora smiled with confidence. "I can handle this! I mean, if I play my cards right, we should have no problems. Get it? Cards right?"

Toadsworth narrowed his eyes, "You've been spending too much time with Master Luigi."

"He's only taught me the best." teased Sora.

"Shut up!" Luigi snapped.

"Sora, Luigi, and Toadsworth no have time to play around," Yoshi said panicky. "We go find Leon and others!"

"Right, let's go!" Sora announced.

The four friends headed towards another card shaped door right in front of them. At this point, Sora felt his heart race, knowing Luigi and Yoshi were going to be out of commission again, and only be able to help for a short time. But if he stayed focused, everything would be alright. He also remembered the Ness card he received. Battles would be less of a strain now that more friends were there to help him. The four were about to approach the door and continue on through the town, when they heard a female voice.

"Excuse me?" said a voice. "Do you know where the hotel is?"

The four stopped and turned to see who was addressing them. Their eyes widened in shock upon who they saw, especially Toadsworth who couldn't believe his eyes. He quickly took off his reading glasses and rubbed them on his vest, thinking for a moment he wasn't seeing a ghost. Putting them back on, he noticed a beautiful young girl standing before them. She had long blonde hair, beautiful blue eyes that sparkled like diamonds, a long pink dress, white gloves, and a golden crown on top of her hair. She held a white umbrella to keep her from getting hit by sun warm heat.

"Princess Peach!" Yoshi cried happily.

"Egad!" Toadsworth exclaimed. "Princess Peach!"

"Oh, so I take it you four have heard of me," realized Peach. "I guess you're wondering what a ruler of a usually peaceful kingdom is doing here."

Toadsworth could not believe his ears on what he was hearing. Heard of her? He practically watched over her as a baby. He watched her grow into a mature young woman, who was solely given the job to look over an entire race of people. At that moment, Toadsworth felt like his entire body came apart from sorrow. He felt so much anger inside of him. That anger was compressed like a volcano ready to blow.

"Wait, don't you know who we are?" Luigi gasped in surprise.

"Sorry, I've never seen you four in my life." Peach responded, slowly shaking her head.

Toadsworth finally shouted out angrily, "Young lady! How dare you pretend to forget the person who has always been there for you! Who watched you grow into a mature young lady? Who took care of you when the Chancellor and your mother were busy? Who read you bedtime stories? Who did everything in his power to keep you safe?"

"Um, that's easy," Peach responded, slightly confused. "My royal steward..." Toadsworth nodded his head, while proudly closing his eyes. "...Philip. T."

Toadsworth got red in the face upon hearing that, "WHAT?"

"Mama-mia!" Luigi cried.

Toadsworth stumbled back with his hand clutching his chest. He could feel a light pain from it, but it was all because of mixed emotions running through his mind. To him the pain felt intense, just from thinking so hardly about everything that was going on. Luigi and Yoshi quickly supported Toadsworth on each side, with Sora worryingly supporting the front of him.

"Oh, no!" Toadsworth moaned. "I'm having a heart attack, sirs! This is the big one!"

"Toadsworth, calm down!" Yoshi said as he held Toadsworth.

Peach, though a bit confused, felt a little bad for her comment.

"Oh, I hope I didn't say anything to upset him." said Peach worryingly.

"He's alright," Sora said calmly. "He sometimes suffers from memory loss. Once he thought he was the one who was suppose to bring piece from machines that enslaved the human race." Peach rose her eyebrow. "Um...never mind."

It took a few seconds, but soon enough, Toadsworth was able to calm himself down. Luigi and Yoshi helped Toadsworth over to a bench, so he could get a chance to catch his breath. Sora turned back to Peach, as he and the others knew that if Leon and Yuffie couldn't remember them, he knew that everyone else he knew would also forget.

"Sorry, we didn't mean to cause a riot." Sora said while rubbing his head

"That's alright, Sora." Peach replied with a smile. She then covered her mouth upon saying that.

Peach felt funny all of a sudden. As if like a lightbulb clicking on, she somehow knew that name. She placed her hand on her head, feeling a little dizzy for a moment like Leon. She shook the feeling off right away though.

"You know his name!" Luigi exclaimed.

"That's very weird," Peach said shaking her head. "I've never met you before, but I somehow know that name."

"Maybe it a coincidence." figured Yoshi.

The trio decided not to alarm anyone else who forgot who they were at the moment. They'd rather figure this out by meeting with Leon and the others. Sora put his hands behind his head, smiling nervously, hoping to change the subject.

"I'm sure Yoshi's right," Sora smiled. "Nothing more than a coincidence. So, you were asking us about something, ma'am?"

Peach gasped upon remembering, "Oh, that's right. I was wondering if you know where the famous Hotel Delfino is. You see I'm meeting a friend of mine there."

"Hm, to get the hotel you have to take the red pipe located near by the lighthouse." Luigi said.

"Oh, thank you," Peach said gratefully. "I'm sure my friend is there right now and I can't keep him waiting."

"No problem," Luigi nodded. "Glad we could help. I just hope your friend isn't an impatience guy."

"Oh, no, he's the kindest person I've ever met," Peach said with a dreamy look in her eyes. "He and I came to the islands on holiday."

"My brother?" Luigi whispered with hope. "Could it really be him?"

"Well, we won't stand in the way and ruin your date," Sora chuckled. Peach lightly blushed at the comment "You see, we have to meet up with a few of our friends, and we can't keep them waiting."

"One of them probably Cid," assumed Yoshi. "And if Sora, Luigi, Yoshi, and Toadsworth don't hurry over there, he going to get mad."

Sora remembered how mad Cid could get with his stormy temper. He gulped nervously, just thinking about getting a red face from him. Peach said her good-byes and turned to leave. Toadsworth was in tears as she said good-bye. He felt heartbroken just to hear her say that she had no clue who he was. He's like a grandfather to her and he just couldn't bare to hear her simply say, "I don't know you."

"Oh, how could this happen?" Toadsworth complained sadly. "I was like a grandfather to her."

"Relax, she's only an illusion, remember?" Luigi reminded him.

"Yes, I understand that, but she still looks so real," Toadsworth responded. "And she still acts like the real person, and hearing that she forgot about me breaks an old man's heart."

"You got a point," nodded Sora in agreement. "She still is very real, though she's just a memory, and just hearing that can make you feel bad. Try not to worry, Toadsworth. Besides, you saw how upset I was when Leon said he forgot about us."

Toadsworth smiled, feeling better from hearing Sora's words.

"You're right, Master Sora," Toadsworth smiled. "Everything will be okay."

"Then let's go!" Sora shouted enthusiastically.

"Help!" shrieked Peach's voice. "Put me down you imposter!"

The four quickly jerked their heads towards the area where Peach walked away. They noticed she was coming at them, while someone had a tight grip around her shoulders with his right arm. As they got closer, Sora noticed what it was that was carrying her was a liquid looking person with a hat on, overalls, and was holding a giant paintbrush in his left hand. Luigi gasped in horror upon seeing the abductor.

"It's that imposter who framed my brother!" Luigi exclaimed. "He's here, too!"

"And that fiend has captured the princess!" Toadsworth added to his horror.

"Help me!" Peach cried. "Sora, Luigi, Yoshi!"

Peach did the best she could to struggle herself free, but the grip was too strong. For a little guy, he sure had a powerful arm. Peach was frightened, as she didn't know what this faker was going to do to her. Sweat poured down her face, she felt like her heart jumped up into her throat. Toadsworth stepped forward, a glare of confidence sparkled in his eyes.

"Illusion or not, I am still sworn to look after her!" Toadsworth cried bravely. "Quickly, masters, we must rescue her!"

Sora drew his keyblade and charged for the imposter. The imposter, known as Shadow Mario noticed Sora quickly charging at him, and giggled evilly upon seeing this. As Sora gave a hard thrust, the imposter, with Peach held tightly, did a front flip over the boy, landing behind him. Sora turned around, they keyblade held in his left hand, and teeth clinched in anger. The imposter stuck his tongue out at the boy and ran for it.

"Luigi, Yoshi, stop him!" Sora called to the duo.

The duo quickly ran at the imposter, who noticed them coming at him. The two ran side by side with each other, running as fast as they could. The moment they got to him, Shadow Mario giggled again and jumped over them, causing the two to bonk heads with each other. They felt their skulls jolt from the rough impact, which also caused them to become light headed. They stumbled around the area, their pupils in their eyes slowly rolling around.

"Ooh, Yoshi see pretty stars." moaned Yoshi.

Toadsworth also tried to stop the imposter, but unfortunately got knocked aside himself by the imposter. Luckily, Toadsworth landed back on the bench, not taking any serious injury. Sora quickly ran over to a dazed Luigi and Yoshi.

"Guys, are you okay?" asked Sora in concern.

"Oh, we're okay," said Luigi in dazed. His voice was a bit slurred because he was still dizzy. "Come on! He went to Mississippi!"

Sora raised an eyebrow in quirk, "Mississippi?"

"Yeah, Sora know...Mississippi," Yoshi said still in a daze. He then began to sing. "M-S-S...I-S-S...M-O-U-S-E."

"Snap out of it guys!" Sora shouted.

Luigi and Yoshi quickly spun their heads around, getting rid of the dizzy feeling in their heads. Luigi quickly shifted his head left and right, finally feeling more alert.

"Hey, where did that brat go?" Luigi asked.

"He heading for funny looking door!" Yoshi pointed.

The trio turned to see Shadow Mario running towards of the strange doors that can only be opened by cards. Toadsworth walked over to the others, huffing and puffing with each breath.

"Huff I say! Huff!" Toadsworth said. "Masters, the perpetrator is trying to leave the premises!"

"Don't worry, Toadsworth," Sora said. "It's in the bag. He can't even get through the door without a..." Sora noticed the imposter opened the door, without even holding a card up and slammed it behind him. "...card. Okay, so almost nobody."

"Hurry up and let's go after them!" Luigi shouted.

The four quickly ran as fast as they could to the door. Upon arrival, Sora held up another red card and it caused the door to open with a white flash. The boy squinted his eyes as he made his way through the brightness of the room. Upon exiting, he arrived at another corner of the island. Sora saw the bell tower at a much closer angle. In front of him he noticed a small white dock that went out to a small round house. The house was colored white with red bamboo on top as the ceiling.

To his right, Sora noticed that the pathway went all the way to the end, where there was water beyond. A little bit further down was another part of the island. These two paths were separate because it was used as a way in and out for boats to enter the docks. Even further down was a have oval shaped red cannon. Sora remembered the cannon from his last adventure. It was a means of transportation to Pinna Park, the same place where he first met Luigi and Yoshi.

As Sora turned around, he saw only Toadsworth present in the party again. The boy knew the others were once again at the mercy of the cards.

"_That is still going to take some getting used to." _thought Sora with a sigh.

"Let us press on!" Toadsworth announced.

Giving a brave nod, the two heard for the cannon. On the way, the heartless ambushed the two. Sora drew his keyblade and charged at the heartless. He leaped into the air and brought the keyblade down on a shadow, cutting it in two. Sora quickly sidestepped left as he felt another one swat at him from behind. Quickly, he gave a one-hundred and eighty degree turn and slashed it aside. A soldier leaped in front of him and smacked its sharp claw across his face. The boy felt his skin peel and felt pain from the attack.

Sora's feet slid backwards towards the edge of the area. He looked down to see the water and he was about to fall in it. The boy slightly loss balance and began to tilt back, but waved his arms to pull himself back up. As he came up, he ducked under another swipe from a heartless, rolling past it. He landed with one knee on the ground, and turned to see them coming at him. Sora quickly stood back up and slashed his way through the heartless, using both hands, slashing one aside on the left, then one on the right, and then sliding under a leaping one and stick the weapon up to cut it.

Sora also experience the card break, though he won most of them, due to the fact that shadows and soldiers played such weak cards. Another soldier charged at him with a sharp claw out. Sora clashed with the claw, putting full force into the attack. Another one leaped from behind him and slashed at him, with the boy quickly ducking his head to avoid. Sora countered by moving his head back up, ramming it into the heartless' stomach.

He was unaware that the other soldier pushed back on his keyblade, causing the boy to step back and lift it into the air. The heartless slashed at Sora's stomach, sending him sliding back. The boy quickly retaliated forward and slashed the creature aside. More soon came at the boy, who put each blow into his attack, clashing with the claws of the soldiers, and swatting the small shadows away. Quite a few times he had to reshuffle his deck, and he was starting to get tired at a seemingly endless amount of shadows.

Soon, a group of soldiers rammed their heads into his chest, knocking him back next to Toadsworth. Sora felt sweat pour down his face from all the movement. He took slow deep breaths to recover from the exercise he got, feeling the air fill up his lungs. The heartless go closer and closer towards the two, as they slowly walked backwards. It seemed like they were cornered when Sora got an idea.

"Let's see if Ness can give us a hand!" Sora said.

Sora's keyblade began to glow a blue color, with red electricity fizzling slowly around the blade. Soon, a light flashed out from within the blade, releasing a beam of energy onto the ground. The heartless stepped back as they couldn't take that much brightness. Soon, the light dimmed, revealing a young boy. He wore a blue and yellow striped short sleeved shirt, dark blue shorts, and wore a red baseball cap, backwards, which covered his short black hair. He also had a brown backpack on his back.

"Hey, Ness!" Sora said happily. "It's great to see you again!"

The boy looked over at Sora, "Yes, you and I have crossed paths before. I can feel that, but I am simply born from your memories as a summon. In times of need, call on me and I will come to help. That is what the castle has chose me to do."

"Then can you defeat those heartless?" Toadsworth asked with hope.

Ness turned back to the heartless, a slight smirk appearing on his face.

"Ha! No problem!" Ness laughed. "Feel the power of my PK Flash!"

The young boy closed his eyes and clenched his fists tightly. He slightly strained, pushing out a warm strong feeling deep inside his body. Sora noticed his body was now outlined with a green glow. Ness continued to push and push until finally, the energy was released from his body. A small green orb appeared right above his head and flew right at the swarm of heartless. As it landed just an inch away from the creatures of darkness, it disappeared, but soon enough the orb bursted into a giant green explosion, knocking all of the heartless back, causing them to obliterate into pieces.

Sora and Toadsworth stood there in shock, amazed at seeing such a little boy display such incredible power.

"Wow, I'm definitely using you the moment I get you back in the deck," Sora said in pure amazement. "Just as powerful as I remember you."

"Thank you," smiled Ness with a blush. "I'll do anything to help you as you journey through Castle Oblivion. Call me if you need me again."

Ness then dematerialized right in front of Sora, turning back into a card, placing itself back on Sora's keychain. The two took the moment to catch their breath now that there were no heartless around. Sora shifted his eyes towards the target, the large red cannon. Now they had to head over there, where they would be able to get onto the island. Sora walked over to the edge of the area, knowing they were going to have to jump over it.

"Come on, Toadsworth," said Sora. "We're going to have to jump over the ledge."

"Excuse me?" Toadsworth said in shock. "We? Do you believe I can jump over that ledge?"

Sora sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, "Oh, yeah, sorry."

The boy then turned away from Toadsworth and slowly crouched down and placed his hands below his lower back, his palms facing the bottom.

"Hop on my back," offered Sora. "I'll carry you across."

"Oh, dear," Toadsworth said unsure. "Are you sure you can jump over this?"

"Hey, I've jumped off of higher places back on the islands." reassured Sora. "I promise you that we won't fall."

Toadsworth slowly got onto Sora's back and the boy boosted him up, giving him a piggyback ride. Sora needed to get a running start, so he backed up a few feet. Toadsworth closed his eyes, still not a hundred percent sure if they would make it. The boy finally ran towards the ledge, running as fast as he could. Toadsworth fell the warm breeze hit his face from the speed as they ran towards the edge. Sora leaped off and went a few feet into the air. Toadsworth felt the force of gravity pushing him down as Sora began to decent onto the platform.

Sora landed on the edge, just barely making it. The boy sighed with relief because he actually wasn't a hundred percent sure he would make it either. Toadsworth was still holding on tightly to Sora, eyes still shut. Sora looked up at him, eyebrow raised.

"Um, Toadsworth?"

"Tell me when it's over!" Toadsworth said fearfully.

"Um...it's been over, Toadsworth." Sora said.

Toadsworth peaked his eyes open to noticed they were safely on the ground. The elder wiped his forehead, glad that it was over. Sora didn't understand why Toadsworth was so worried anyways. Even if he missed, they would have landed in the water.

"Thank goodness," sighed Toadsworth. "It's a good thing we made it because I can't swim for dear life."

"Oh, so that's why you were nervous." realized Sora.

"Never swam a day in my life I'm afraid," continued Toadsworth. "Simply too busy watching the princess."

"Man, you need to seriously get out more." Sora told Toadsworth.

"Never mind that, Master Sora," Toadsworth shook his head. "Quickly, we must proceed to the cannon!"

Sora nodded and the two continued to the cannon. During the way there Sora had to jump over yet another ledge, once again landing successfully on the other side. Upon reaching the red cannon, more heartless came out of nowhere, ambushing the boy. Sora slashed his way through the group, cutting through them, shredding them into pieces. At one point, Sora accidently played a zero card, which was easily countered by a shadow, causing the boy to become paralyzed for the moment. A soldier knocked him back, sending him sliding across the floor.

Sora also found a Luigi card and called the plumber to help. Luigi used his cure magic to heal Sora, while shooting thunder spells at the heartless, knocking some of them into the air. Sora quickly leaped into the air and slashed it aside with a full swing. Landing on the ground, Sora slashed through some more heartless, swiftly dodging their blows, finally getting better at working with the card system. Sora defeated the last group of heartless. Sora was impressed at the progress he was already making, but he knew he still had ways to go. Walking over to the cannon, Sora and Toadsworth both looked around to see if the clerk would give them admission.

There was no one there. The two wondered how they were going to get over to the park now, when Sora noticed a golden square shaped item sticking out of the cannon. Sora walked over to it, noticing there was a small slot in it. He figured that the golden cards he received when he got the Ness card must open the cannon. Sora inserted the card from his pocket, which caused the top of the cannon to open. Sora and Toadsworth weren't too nervous about entering it as they have done this before, but the cannon wasn't a hundred percent safe.

Entering it, the top of the cannon automatically closed on them, shutting them inside the cannon. The cannon rotated about thirty five degrees, lifted slightly upward, and fired the two out of it. The two went flying across the entire sea, their screams echoing throughout the air. Sora felt like his was being separated from his body from moving so fast. The wind blew roughly in their faces as they went flying pass the crisp, clear water. Soon, the two saw an island coming into view. It appeared to be a giant theme park.

The two began to the decent into the park, flying over many different rides, some of which included; two wooden boats that swung back and forth, a roller coaster that had many different loops and turns, an octopus Ferris wheel that was colored purple, a merry-go-round which had different colored Yoshis instead of horses, and a giant pool of water at the edge of it. Sora and Toadsworth got nervous, as they knew they could injure themselves badly or worse.

At that moment, a flash appeared next to Sora, startling him. The flash quickly subsided, revealing Luigi and Yoshi who were also flying along. Luigi's eyes widened in fear as was falling downward with the others.

"Guys?" Sora asked in surprise. "Where did you come from?"

"The real question here is; how should my face look when it gets flatten by the impact of the ground?" Luigi said in panic. "You just HAD to take the cannon over here. Couldn't you have taken the ferry?"

"Luigi, it was the only way!" snapped Sora. "There was no other option!"

"Never mind that!" screamed Yoshi. "We about to make crash-landing!"

The four screamed as they fell right towards the edge of the island. Right by the edge was a small white house with one floor. It was a very strange house as it and one other house which was a Japanese style house resided on this island. Many of the citizens have noticed this, but payed no attention to it. Inside the white house was where Leon and his friends lived. The living room inside had brown wooden walls. There were many stuck on shelves that had pictures and old antique items.

There were also small, black leather couches around the room. Sitting in the couches were Leon, Yuffie, and another woman. This woman wore a long pink dress that connected to her upper body, and it was sleeveless. She also had brown hair with two splits that dropped down, and had two pony tails in the back. She wore a purple belt around her waist, with two ropes supporting the belt which were located on her side.

Leon and Yuffie told the woman the situation involving Sora and his friends. The woman was baffled by everything she heard. She felt a strange power in the town earlier today, but never expected the power to be something like this. Four strange visitors who claimed to know Leon and the gang.

"So, are they coming here?" the woman asked.

"Yeah, Aerith," Leon responded. "They said that they'd stop by. Hopefully, we can clear this all up."

Aerith placed her hands in her lap, folding them together.

"I hope so too," Aerith said. "I feel like I've heard those names before, but it's hard for me to distinguish if I know them personally or not."

"Us too," Yuffie nodded in agreement. "This is the most freakiest thing that's ever happened!" She then smiled. "Let's just wait. Any moment they're sure to drop in."

At that moment, the adults heard the sound of collapsing and looked up to see dust and ruble drop right in front of them. The three quickly covered their faces as the dust came towards their direction. Sora, Luigi, Yoshi, and Toadsworth have crashed through the ceiling and landed on the ground. The three coughed from the particles and the dust that came from the aftermath of the fall. As they looked up, they saw the group stacked up on top of each other, with Sora at the bottom and Toadsworth on top.

"Okay...I didn't mean literally," Yuffie said. "We have a door you know."

The three residents of the Mushroom Kingdom got off of Sora who stood up, shaking his head to recover from the fall. Luckily, the keyblade protected Sora from rough falls, which also broke the others' fall because they landed on him. Sora weakly stood up and rubbed his head.

"Man, what a fall!" Sora groaned.

"Sora, are you alright?" Leon asked concerned.

"We're fine Leon, but sorry about the house." Sora apologized.

Leon just smiled, "Don't worry about it. I'm sure Cid can fix it up."

"Mama-mia!" Luigi cried. "Can't I ever get one minute of piece without falling through something?"

Yoshi rubbed his nose, "Ooh, Yoshi have booboo nose."

Toadsworth stood up, excited about what just happened. In all his years he has never had that much excitement before with flying through the air.

"I say, that was the most fun I've had in thirty years!" Toadsworth cheers. "After we rescue the princess, shall we do it again?"

"Be my guest, Toadsworth," Luigi said nervously. "As for me, I'm going to make like a drum and beat it. I've had enough pain for one day."

"Stop complaining!" Sora snapped.

"I'm not complaining!" Luigi argued with Sora. "I just don't want any more pain inflictions!"

"Please, calm down everyone!" Leon interrupted. "This isn't something we should worry about. Just try not to use the cannon next time. It is considered a hazard to one's health."

"This kid is a hazard just enough as it is." Luigi said, referring to Sora.

Ignoring Luigi, Sora walked over to Aerith, who was looking over the boy in concern. A depressed look descended upon the boy's face, knowing that she too forgot about him.

"Aerith, please don't tell me you forgot who I am, too." Sora said sadly.

"Well, the problem is I'm debating whether I should be saying nice to meet you or good to see you again," she said unsure. "It feels like a little of both. I've never met you in my life, but something is telling me that I've known you for a long time. It's like you are apart of us."

"Yeah, that's how I feel!" Yuffie agreed. "I've never seen you before, but it doesn't feel weird that I know those names!"

"No!" Sora objected. "Listen, we have met before! I'm a hundred percent positive!"

"Yeah, we've laughed together, we've cried together, we've shared good times with each other." Luigi added.

"We fought heartless together!" Sora continued. "We were a team! Can't you remember?"

Leon crossed his arms, a bit perplexed, "Well, it feels right, but I can't remember."

"Maybe Leon thinking too much?" Yoshi suggested

"This is so freaky." Yuffie said to herself.

"Don't you remember what you told me at Hallow Bastion?" said Sora who was hoping to jolt the man's memory. "Right after I sealed the keyhole you said: 'We may never meet again...'"

"'...but we'll never forget each other." Leon finished.

Leon was even more confused. It's like whenever Sora tried to recall past events, those memories would somehow reminiscence in Leon's mind as well as the others.

"See, you do remember!" Sora exclaimed. "You can't forget something that important, right?"

Yuffie gasped in shock, "Yeah, I do remember you saying that!"

"Well, I guess I can't write that off as a coincidence, then," Leon said. "If you remember it, and I remember it, the something is definitely not right here."

"Unless they can have the power to manipulate minds!" Yuffie abruptly pointed at the group.

Yoshi huffed at Yuffie, "Why, Yoshi never been insulted in whole life! How dare you call Yoshi a mind manipulate!" He then looked at Sora in confusion. "Um, what does mind manipulate mean?"

"Don't worry, Yuffie," Leon said casually. "I don't think they mean any harm. But still...'we may never meet again.'"

"You know," Aerith finally spoke up. "Honestly, I physically don't remember that event happening, but I somehow remember. Maybe it's Sora's heart that is doing the remembering for us."

The four friends were slightly confused. What did she mean by Sora's heart remembering? The heart is an organ that beats on a daily basis. The brain is what does remembering and thinking. So, how could a heart be remembering things? And if it is, why is Sora's heart affect their memories?

"How does that work?" Sora asked in confusion.

"How can it work?" Toadsworth imputed. "That is the mind's job to remember certain aspects of things, not the heart."

"It could be that maybe our hearts hold onto those memories that are dear to us," Aerith theorized. "Though we don't know you, Sora, your heart is full of many memories of us together. Somehow those memories seem to resonate in our hearts, too. Maybe they tell us things we couldn't otherwise know."

"So, are you saying that Sora's memories are somehow affecting ours?" Leon gasped in shock. "How's that physically possible?"

"I can sense a very unique power coming from his memories," Aerith replied. "It seems this affects all of those Sora has encountered before on this island."

Sora wondered if this is what the strange man in the cloak meant by everything being created from the confinement of his memories. Everything was real to them, but Sora thinks the reason they don't remember him is because this world is based on his memories, but just because he remembers people, that doesn't mean the people remember him or the adventures they had together. It was basically like entering a world that was new and old.

"I see...maybe it's like what that guy told me," Sora said. "This town is just an illusion, created from my memories."

"And...there's someone special to you in this town that you're searching for?" Aerith asked.

Sora gasped in surprise. How did she know he was searching for someone?

"How did Aerith know that?" Yoshi said in shock.

"I understand." Sora said with a nod.

"Well, I don't know what's going on around here," said Luigi who was completely lost. "Care to fill me in, Mr. Know-It-All?"

"My memories are not only telling them things about our past adventures, but they're also resonating with their memories, telling them things that are happening right now." Sora explained.

"Seriously?" Luigi asked in amazement. He then made a nervous look. _"I just hope my memories don't get involved in this. That guy said everything was based on Sora's memories. I wouldn't want memories of my deepest, darkest, secrets to be exposed."_

"So you are searching for someone then?" Aerith asked Sora.

"Yeah, a friend of mine is somewhere on this island...erm...I mean Castle Oblivion." Sora confirmed.

Yuffie tilted her head slightly in confusion.

"Castle Oblivion? What's that? This is an island resort," Yuffie said. "There aren't any castles around here."

"Um, that's not quite what I meant." replied Sora.

Luigi elbowed Sora, which caused him to jerk his head towards the man.

"What?"

Luigi grabbed his shirt collar, pulling him down in the process. The man put his mouth up to the boy's ear and whispered in it.

"Listen, let's not mention that we are really inside a giant castle," Luigi whispered. "We don't want to cause a panic."

"Gotcha." Sora whispered back

"I'm sure you still have a lot of questions that need to be answered, right?" Aerith said.

Sora stood back and nodded.

"Well, we just got here anyways, so we'll probably have a look around town." Sora nodded. He all of a sudden remembered something. "Oh, yeah! Have you guys seen a nut job with a paintbrush by any chance?"

"Yeah, that nut job kidnaped Princess Peach!" Luigi said.

"Hmm...the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom," Leon pondered to himself. "Now that you mention it, I did see a strange water looking human run by here a couple of minutes ago. I didn't see Princess Peach however. Perhaps she is being held hostage elsewhere."

"Oh, yeah!" Yuffie exclaimed. "I saw that thing head into the park!"

Luigi ran over to the door, "Then let's get going!"

Luigi pulled the handle to open the door, but for some reason the door wouldn't open. Luigi noticed that the locks on the door were also unlocked. That left the man in confusion, wondering why the door didn't open, although the door was unlocked. Luigi tried again, putting all his muscle into it. His teeth clenched tightly, sweat began to pour down his face, and he strained hardly.

"Take it easy, Luigi," advised Leon. "You'll pull a muscle!"

Luigi finally lifted his feet up onto the door, pulling with his entire body against the door. He pulled and pulled until finallyhe pulled so hard that he went flying off of the door, flying right at the others who ducked under to dodge him. Luigi then flew into an open room, crashing into something with sounds of glass breaking.

"Oh, no!" Aerith gasped. "I hope he didn't crash into Cid's glass airplane figurines!"

Sora called to the door, "Luigi, are you okay?"

Luigi came out with shattered pieces of glass on his clothes. Luckily none of the glass stabbed the clad dressed plumber in his skin. A few pieces of glass were on his moustache, which he lightly brushed off.He sighed with relief, knowing that the glass didn't harm him.

"Wow! That was close!" Luigi sighed. "What moron in their right mind would leave a glass collections of airplanes on a shelve?"

"Cid." everyone else responded.

Luigi's eyes widened in fear, "What? Oh, no! If Cid finds out about this, he's going to tear me lim from lim! You know how mad he gets!"

Sora gulped, "No kidding."

"But how come the door is denying us an exit?" asked Toadsworth.

Sora walked up to the door and noticed a golden outline around it. He's seen this outline around the two other doors he went into earlier on. It appeared that only a card could open the door, but the boy didn't have another golden card in his pocket.

"We need another card to open this door," Sora grunted. "But I don't know where we're going to find one?"

Aerith then went through her pocket and pulled out a golden card on it labeled "key to truth" on it. She walked over to Sora and showed it to him.

"I found this earlier today," Aerith saidshe held out the card. "I think this might help you."

She handed Sora the card, who made his famous smile upon noticing it.

"Hey, thanks," Sora smiled. "This should help us." He then turned to his group. "Let's go before Cid comes back here."

"Be careful, Sora," warned Leon. "The heartless are still running a muck on the island. But you shouldn't have any problem."

"So, you know I can fight then." grinned Sora.

"Can't say I remember, but I'm starting to believe." said Leon with a slight smile.

The four said their good-byes for now and walked over to the door. Sora took the card and held it up to the door, causing the card to glow a bright white. The door finally opened on its own, revealing a white light. Sora began to understand more about how cards were played out on the field. For each world he visits, he will receive a golden card. He must find the door that matches that color, and upon opening it, he will be involved in a conflict with other fragments of his past.

However, he was a bit nervous, as he didn't know what to expect from entering the door in front of him. He looked back at his friends, knowing that no matter what happens, they will always be by his side to help him. Toadsworth ran into the door first, knowing that this door may lead him to the princess. The others followed right behind him.

Upon exiting, the four friends arrived right in the middle of Pinna Park. They looked in aw at the sights of the many attractions that were around. Surprisingly, no other people were around at the park. This place was one of the most important places Sora remembered. It was where he first met Luigi and Yoshi. He chuckled a little bit at remembering the way he met them. It was like it happened yesterday.

He ran into the hotel, looking for a strong source of energy Leon mentioned. While searching around, he heard two voice scream from above. Looking up, he saw two strange figures plummeting down from the sky, landing on top of him. Together, it was there that Sora learned true strength came from his friends. The trio were an unbeatable force, defeating any opponent that challenged them. They didn't look like much, but the three were a force all on their own. Sora knew in his heart that Luigi and Yoshi gave him the power to defeat any foe.

The four began their search for the imposter, hoping to find the princess and rescue her. Toadsworth worryingly looked left and right.

"Oh, dear," Toadsworth said frantically. "If something happens to her, regardless if she is real or not, I'll never forgive myself."

"Aw, no worry, Toadsworth," rest assured Yoshi. "We find Princess Peach, and make Toadsworth happy again."

"Yeah, she still is a friend," Sora added. "We can't turn our backs on her now."

The four continued to make their way through the park, noticing that nobody else was present at the amusement park, except for one person. He was standing around, his hands on his hips, stretching his back. He wore blue jeans, with gray socks, black shoes, had a short sleeved white tear shirt on, and wore a brown milk bottled shaped pendent around his neck. He also had a pair of goggles rested right on his forehead. He had blonde hair and had a yellow straw hanging out of his mouth. He was an elderly man, not as old as Toadsworth, but still pretty old.

The four walked up to him, he turned around upon hearing the footsteps. Seeing Sora, he gave a smile to the kid.

"Well, well, look what the cat drag in," the man laughed. "If it isn't Sora and his merry crew." All of a sudden Cid shook his head. "Huh? What the heck am I saying? I don't even know who you folks are." Cid then rubbed his head. "This old man can be a little crazy at times, but just lookin' at ya, kid, you have all the right requirements to be a Sora. Spiky hair, baggy pants, overly gigantic feet. Dang boy, are you related to bigfoot?"

Sora just frowned.

"Only kidding with you," the man gave a hearty laugh. "Kid doesn't have a sense of humor in him. But, still, you look like a Sora alright."

"Actually, Cid, that is my name." replied Sora.

"Well, it seems you know my name, too," Cid chuckled. "When you're a popular pilot like me, you're most noticeable in every world out there."

"Hey, does Cid know that Luigi broke his..." Yoshi began.

Luigi quickly covered Yoshi's mouth, "NOOOOO!"

"Uh, what's his problem?" Cid asked in confusion.

"Um...nothing," Sora said nervously. "Yoshi likes to tell embarrassing things sometimes."

"Oh, well I was just on my way out anyways," Cid said. "This here place is so empty, that it makes a ghost town look busy."

"Excuse us, sir?" Toadsworth said. "Have you happen to see a madman with a paintbrush?"

"Or a guy with silver hair?" Sora hopefully asked.

Cid thought about it for a moment, "Well, only thing I've seen around here is those heartless punks. Can't take two steps without running away from those things? But now that you mention it, I did see a wack job running around with a paintbrush. Was holding onto some chick with a pink dress."

The others gasped in excitement. They finally had a lead to rescue Peach.

"Where did they go?" Luigi asked frantically.

"Hold your horses!" snapped Cid. "Give me a second to think! This guy with the paintbrush has been runnin' around here every few minutes. I tell ya, the guy's nuttier than a fruitcake." He then turned to Sora. "And I haven't seen this silver haired friend of your's."

"Oh, right." Sora said sadly.

"Cheer up, Sora," Cid grinned. "I'm sure you'll find this friend. I'll root for ya.." He then turned to leave. "Well, I'm gonna take off. Just watch out for them there heartless. If you value your hide, you'd get out of here."

Cid said good-bye, and walked off. Sora slowly put his head down, feeling upset for not finding Riku. Toadsworth walked over to Sora and smiled.

"Don't be sad, Master Sora," Toadsworth said optimistically. "This is only the first world, and that man mentioned Riku was here in the castle. We should be able to find him if we really work hard."

Sora smiled, "Yeah, you're right! We'll find him!"

Meanwhile, Luigi was scolding Yoshi.

"What are you trying to do? Kill me?" Luigi yelled. "Don't ever tell Cid that I was the one who broke the glass figurines."

"But it always a good idea to admit what you've done," Yoshi pointed out. "It puts Luigi more at ease, making him feel less guilty. Simply hiding it will make Luigi feel more guilty, so he should come clean."

"What?" Luigi gasped in shock. "Kid, If I told Cid that, you'll get a front row seat at my funeral. Have you forgotten how mad that guy can get? Sometimes I think he can get so mad, he'll turn right into the Incredible Hulk."

"That no matter..." Yoshi shook his head. "Luigi should still come clean."

"Look!" Sora pointed.

The four turned to notice Shadow Mario running by them, heading into the heart of the park.

"Quickly, after him!" Toadsworth shouted.

The four quickly ran after the imposter, who ran as fast as he could. Glancing over his shoulder, he noticed the four were gaining on him. The imposter panted all the way as they chased him, using his paintbrush to create graffiti like goo that streaked across the ground. The goo had an orange-yellow mixture to it and was lying all over the floor. The four remembered how dangerous the goo was and went around it, not taking their eyes off Shadow Mario.

Finally, the four cornered Shadow Mario at a giant wall. The imposter shifted his eyes left and right, looking for exit, but he noticed Luigi and Yoshi ran to each side to block his path. However, Shadow Mario didn't appeared too worried about the whole thing. Sora called the keyblade to his hand and pointed the blade at it.

"Okay, you!" Sora said heroically. "We got you cornered! Tell us what you did with the princess?"

"Ha!" Shadow Mario laughed. "Like I'd give up that easily to losers like you! I believe it is me who has cornered you!"

"Four to one?" scoffed Luigi. "I think you got it all wrong!"

Shadow Mario snickered, "Hehehe! Do not underestimate my power!"

Shadow Mario held his paintbrush up in the air and began to twirl it around, with whooshing sounds coming out of it. He then turned towards the wall and began to paint on, jumping up and down, using the brush to stroke the wall with the hot graffiti. It didn't take more than thirty seconds to finish the painting. He spun back down and pointed his brush at Sora.

"Let's see you try and deal with my latest masterpiece!" Shadow Mario challenged.

The four looked up and gasped upon what the drawing was. It was a picture of a strange creature that had metal body parts, with no legs, arms, or even a neck. The creature had two metal feet, metal floating claws, a metal chest that was colored purple. On it's chest was a mark of a heart with a cross in it and a floating helmet. Their eyes widened in fear upon seeing it.

"It's Guard Armor!" Luigi exclaimed.

"But why did fake Mario paint it?" Yoshi asked Luigi.

"Isn't it obvious, kid?" Luigi gulped nervously. "He's going to bring that thing to life!"

Indeed, Sora noticed that the painting was starting to move on its own. The claws started to move, the feet began to walk. Soon enough, the painting pushed against the wall, turning into a solid object. It gave off its purple color as it marched out of the portal. Sora drew his keyblade to get ready to fight the giant heartless. Luigi and Yoshi slowly began to back away, already too afraid to fight it. However, they soon were consumed by a white light, turning them back into cards again.

Sora stood ready with his keyblade in hand. Toadsworth hid behind the Yoshi-go-round, so that he would be safe from the battle. Guard Armor was the first giant heartless he faced with Luigi and Yoshi, but now he had to do it alone. But he knew that Luigi and Yoshi would always be there with him, summoned or not.

"Attack!" ordered Shadow Mario.

The heartless charged for Sora with its razor sharp claws. It swatted down at Sora, who rolled out of the way, and quickly got back up on one knee. The moment he did, the heartless swatted at him, in which the boy blocked by putting up his keyblade. The other hand came at Sora, but he ducked under it. Standing back up, Sora ran for the creature, holding the handle tight with both hands. The creature walked forward, its feet pound the ground with its hard metal.

Sora felt the vibration from the hard impact, but kept his balance and leaped at the creature. It threw its fist at him, which the boy blocked again. The other fist came and Sora quickly kicked that one aside. Landing right next to it, he leaped up and brought the keyblade down vertically. However, it quickly rammed its head into Sora's head, knocking him into the air. The boy spun backwards and landed on his feet.

Sora ran forward and charged again. The creature's fists once again threw punches, but Sora blocked them. It continued to punch as Sora blocked, slowly walking back. As the next punch flew at him, Sora leaped over the punch and ran at the creature, slashing at it with a vicious assault. The creature however countered with a swift kick in the jaw, knocking him into the air. Sora felt the pain in his jaw and rubbed it as he landed on the ground.

The creature brought its foot down at Sora, which the boy rolled out of the way to dodge. Quickly, he got to his feet and slashed across its chest, causing a slight cut to appear. The creature angrily smacked Sora aside, causing him to slide across the ground. Standing back up, Sora ran at the armor again, who this time spun its hands around like a saw. Sora quickly bent his back over, just missing the saw like attack. As he pulled himself back up, he charged again at the creature, keyblade ready to strike.

The heartless separated its head from the body and flew at Sora at full speed. Gripping the handles tightly, Sora held the keyblade like a bat and knocked the head back at the body, knocking the chest back into the wall. The feet sent a flying kick at him, with the soles facing up at fifty degree angle. Sora quicky leaped onto the soles, his own feet landing on the feet. Pushing all of his weight against the feet, he was able to tilt them the other way, and then used them to push him off.

Sora flew at the armor's chest and slashed it again, damaging it in the process, cutting through the pieces of metal. Sora continued to slash it until he couldn't attack anymore, thanks to the fact that he ran out of cards. With Sora wide-open, the hands returned and smacked him aside. The boy crashed onto the ground, his back hitting against the rough surface. The hands flew over to him and grabbed his underarm, pulling him up into the air.

He weakly strained against the two metal hands, praying that he could release their grip. Both feet flew at Sora again, ready to deliver a hard blow to his chest. Thinking quickly, Sora held his keyblade up by using his arm and summoned Ness. The young boy appeared right in front of Sora, creating a blue shield to block the attack. Not only that, but the energy was able to knock the two hands off of Sora. Landing, Sora quickly reshuffled his deck to regain his cards. He charged forward again, once again at full power.

The armor threw a punch, which Sora dodge. He then quickly rolled to the right, where the second one punched at him, but he kicked it aside. He then moved his head back, dodging the feet. Quickly standing up, he jumped into the air, ready to attack. The head tried to ram Sora again, but Sora quickly stepped on it, leaping over it. Sora brought his keyblade down on the chest of the armor, but the chest started to spin around like a top.

It then flew into the air and knocked Sora back, with the hands quickly grabbing his arms, and the feet finishing it with a kick to the chest. Sora slid across the floor and ran his head into a pole. Sora grabbed his head, feeling the pain from the hard metal.

"Ah!" Sora yelped. "Man, that smarts!"

Shadow Mario started laughing and made his way towards the octopus Ferris wheel. At the top of the it, in the last cart was Princess Peach, with a rope wrapped all around her chest, her ankles, and a white handkerchief covering her mouth. Meanwhile, Sora quickly stood back and rubbed his head from the pain. Sora needed to think of another way to defeat him. Looking back, Sora remembered that Yoshi was able to eat most of the parts.

Jerking his head left and right, Sora searched for a Yoshi card, but didn't see it, but another card. Sora heard the sound of metal and turned to see the Guard Armor brining its foot down on him. Sora rolled out of the way and ran for the card. As he did, he dodged more swipes from the armor, rolling, dodging, ducking, and jumping over it. He finally grabbed the card, and looked at it. The card was the same greenish color as his friend cards, but the picture was different. It was a picture of a green shaded mushroom.

Sora was perplexed by how to use this card. Turning around, he noticed the armor charging for him again. Thinking quickly, Sora held the card, hoping it will do something. The creature got closer and closer when all of a sudden the colors around Sora inverted into a gray flash that lasted for only a moment. Sora's eyes widened as he noticed that the flash caused the creature to collapse on the ground. The pieces of armor were now separate from each other. Those cards must have been special cards that allowed Sora to weaken the enemy, giving him the chance to attack. Sora ran at the armor and began slashing away at each piece away.

His blade pierced through the metal, slashing it and cutting through it. Sora cut the smaller pieces away first, and then finished off the rest. Soon enough, the armor could not take anymore damage from the weapon of light, and got engulfed in a giant ball of light, disappearing from Sora's sight. The battle was over and won. Sora rubbed his finger under his nose with a smile of victory. Whatever that card was, it sure got him out of that jam.

Sora received a Guard Armor enemy card for defeating it. However, the battle wasn't over yet. He shifted his eyes upward and noticed Shadow Mario was climbing the octopus. The boy quickly ran over to the ride and jumped onto the first card, and shot a fire spell at Shadow Mario. The imposter screamed in surprise and looked down to see him.

"What? How did you defeat my heartless?" Shadow Mario asked in shock.

Sora just made a cocky smile, "You happen to be dealing with a heartless exterminator. And I don't just hunt for heartless, I also take out little runts like you."

"Ha!" Shadow Mario laughed. "Take this!"

Shadow Mario swatted his paintbrush vertically, sending a bubble like creature at Sora. The boy easily swiped it aside, but it exploded into a big splash that covered Sora's face.

"What the..?" Sora exclaimed.

Shadow Mario laughed manically and leaped into the last cart. He got Peach into his arms, holding on tightly, and quickly made a run for it. Sora could hear Peach's muffled screams for help. The doppelganger high into the air, getting away from Sora's grasp. The boy quickly jumped onto the last card and looked to see he was getting away with her. Unfortunately, Sora couldn't even jump that high, nor had any cards that could help him.

"Master Sora!" called Toadsworth. "Hurry!"

Sora then remembered what Leon said about Sleights and how they have special abilities. Sora quickly held the chain of his keyblade up and looked at the cards. Not too sure what to do, Sora began to touch a card labeled nine on it. All of a sudden, it disappeared in a flash. Sora wondered if this was how the Sleights work. He randomly tapped one more nine card, and an eight card, hoping that something was bound to happen.

All of a sudden, Sora's keyblade began to glow a dark red color. He felt a powerful force pull his arm back, and then instantly pull it forward, throwing the keyblade in the process. The keyblade spun at a very fast speed, so fast that it was able to keep up to Shadow Mario. The imposter turned around and gasped in horror to see the keyblade. The blade smacked Shadow Mario in the face, causing him to scream. He then released Peach's grip and she fell towards the ground. Toadsworth started to panic upon seeing her plummet to her doom.

"Oh, no!" Toadsworth screamed in fear. "Master Sora, do something!"

Sora quickly made his way down the ride and ran to Peach as fast as he could. They could both hear Peach's shrieks of terror as she fell. Sora quickly jumped for it and grabbed her in his arms, landing safely on the ground. Toadsworth, at that moment fainted from all the excitement. He removed the handkerchief from her mouth and placed her down. Sora slashed at the ropes, untying the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom.

"Ma'am, are you alright?" Sora asked in concern.

"Yes, I am now," Peach said with a smile. "Thank you, Sora."

The imposter did a cannonball fil onto the ground, landing right in front of the two. Peach gasped in surprise, while Sora got his keyblade ready to protect her. The evil imposter looked up, holding onto his giant paintbrush. He growled angrily at the boy for ruining his plans.

"You big meanie!" he whined. "You ruined my plans! I wanted her all for myself!"

"Give it a rest!" Sora said harshly. He then grinned. "Besides, a little koopa like you should be a good boy, right Jr?"

The imposter giggled lightly, "Ah, that's what your memories tell you, but sometimes all isn't what it appears to be."

"Wh-what are you saying?" Sora asked nervously.

All of a sudden a dark wave clouded over the imposter, completely consuming him into the darkness. The wave soon descended into the ground and disappeared completely. Sora ran over to the spot where Shadow Mario vanished and observed it. What did he mean by "All isn't what it appears to be?" Meanwhile, at the entrance of the park, the same hooded man Sora first met when he entered the castle was standing there, holding a now lifeless Shadow Mario.

His body hung completely down, not moving one inch at all.

"Hm, this puppet wasn't a very good design," said the man. "It didn't have enough power to defeat this boy. Well, better send it back to the scrap heap where it belongs."

The hooded man created a dark portal below and dropped the body into, causing the waves of darkness to eat away at it, sending it into an endless abyss of darkness. A few minutes have passed ever since Sora defeated guard armor. Luigi and Yoshi have returned from card form and the trio helped wake up Toadsworth. Afterwards, Peach walked up to the friends and smiled at them. She was grateful to have her life.

"Thank you, Sora, Luigi, and Yoshi," thanked Peach. "You saved my life!"

"All in a days work." Sora smiled.

"You truly are some of the bravest people I've ever met," continued Peach. "It's funny; I somehow felt like we've known each other for a long time. Also, the moment I met you, I knew I could put my full trust in you. Maybe that's just me."

"Who knows?" Luigi shrugged. "Maybe we have met before and you may have forgot."

"Now then," Peach began. "I'd like to reward you for your efforts. Besides my friend, nobody else off the streets has ever tried to rescue me like you did. So, how about some..."

"...cake?" Luigi finished.

Peach made a startled look, "H-how did you know?"

"Lucky guess." Luigi snickered.

"We'd love some, but we actually have to look for a few friends of ours," Sora rejected the offer. "We're kinda in the middle of a quest to find them, and we really need to get going."

Peach just nodded, "Oh, dear, friends of your's? Well, I give you my full support then. I'm sure you'll find your friends." Peach then noticed the sun was making its decent upon the horizon. "Oh, dear, I have to go. My friend is going to kill me."

"No he won't," Luigi said warmly. "He's an understanding guy. Even when things look grim sometimes, his enthusiasm and carefree attitude can always put a smile on your face."

Peach just smiled, "You're right. Mario will understand."

Toadsworth walked up to Peach and took her hand.

"Oh, princess," Toadsworth said sadly. "I shall think about you night and day. I won't give up hope. I will find away back to you"

"Okay." Peach said slowly with a raised eyebrow.

Yoshi grabbed Toadsworth by the arm and gently pulled him back.

"Come on, Toadsworth," Yoshi said nervously. "Time for medicine."

"Well, good luck and come by the castle and visit sometimes." Peach said as she turned to leave.

The four said good-bye as Peach headed for the exit. They sighed with relief, knowing that the threat was over for now. Toadsworth turned to the group with a smile.

"We did it, masters," Toadsworth cheered. "Excellent job! Now the princess will be okay, and we won't have to worry anymore. It puts an old man's heart at ease."

"Yeah, cause I feel better already," Sora said. He then frowned. "But we didn't find Mr. Mario or Riku here."

"Don't be sad, Sora," Yoshi said warmly. "We find them. They probably elsewhere in castle."

"Yeah, kid," Luigi agreed. "We'll find them faster than pizza dough rising out of an oven."

Sora smiled, feeling much better now, "Thanks guys."

"Well, well, so I was right after all." called a voice.

The four turned to see Yuffie, Aerith, Leon, and Cid approach them. Sora noticed a glum look on Cid's face, but wanted to find out what Leon just meant.

"Hey, guys." Luigi greeted.

"What were you right about?" Sora asked Leon.

"I just watched you defeat that heartless," Leon replied. "You truly are a good fighter, just as I thought you were."

Sora rubbed the back of his head and blushed.

"Heh, thanks for the comment," blushed Sora. He then turned to Cid. "Hey, Cid, why the glum look?"

Cid sighed, "Some dumbbell came by our house and destroyed my perfectly good airplane figurines." He then shouted at them. "IT TOOK ME FIVE DARN YEARS TO COLLECT THEM, AND THIS IS WHAT I GET FOR ALL THAT WORK?" He then pounded his fist into his palm. "When I find the punk who did this, I bend his spine, I crush his head, I'll show him what real pain is like!"

Sora and Yoshi glared nervously at Luigi who literally felt his heart stop. If he ever told Cid that he was the one who broke it, he'd be in for the ride of his life. He could picture it now, "Luigi Mario, 1983-2006, beaten to death by a crazy old man."

However, Yoshi walked over to Luigi and elbowed him. Luigi did feel a sense of guilt and maybe if he explained everything to the retired pilot, he wouldn't get mad.

"Cid, relax," Leon said calmly. "Remember your blood pressure."

"HOW CAN I? BOY, IT TOOK ME MY ENTIRE LIFE TO FIND THEM!" Cid yelled at Leon.

Even the calm, collected Leon backed away in fear from Cid. Yuffie quickly changed the subject.

"So, did you find your friend?" Yuffie asked Sora.

Sora shook his head, "No, I'm not going to find him. He's somewhere else in this castle. I can just feel it."

"SORA!" Luigi shouted. _"That kid has a short term memory."_

Cid looked at Sora in confusion, "Castle? You tryin' to tell me this here island is inside some humongous castle? Hoo, that's rich!"

"He maybe right, Cid," said Leon. "We may not understand what's going on here, but Sora does. He can see that reality is bigger than just this world."

Sora placed his hands in his pocket, "I wish I was that sure."

Luigi walked up to Cid nervously, ready to confess to him. His heart beat rapidly, his breath became light, his entire body quivered in fear. He nervously approached Cid and cleared his throat.

"Um, Cid?" Luigi began nervously.

"Eh, something wrong their, sonny?" Cid asked Luigi.

"Yeah, um...heheh...I don't know how to tell you this...but..." Luigi stuttered. "I...was...the one who broke your figurines."

Cid gasped in shock upon hearing that, "YOU DID WHAT?"

Yoshi ran to Luigi's defense.

"But he no mean to do it," protested Yoshi. "Luigi too clumsy for own good."

"Yeah, what he said." frantically nodded Luigi in agreement.

For the moment, Cid said nothing, but simply stared at the two with a frown. The two wondered what was going to happen next. All of a sudden, Cid smiled at them. This was something the two never expected.

"Is that all?" Cid laughed. "Dang it, boy! If you didn't mean it, then I forgive ya."

"Really?" Luigi asked hopefully. He then sighed with relief. "Thanks, Cid."

"Hey, I actually have a parting gift for you fellas," Cid grinned. "Leon told me the situation and I thought you could use it. Better run back and get it."

Luigi sighed with relief and turned to Yoshi with a smile.

"Hey, you were right, kid," Luigi said. "I do feel a lot better now."

"See?" Yoshi giggled. "All better. Cid also giving Sora, Luigi, and Yoshi a gift."

"Yeah, and I wonder what it is?" Luigi said intrigued.

Leon walked up to Sora and placed his hands on his shoulders. A warm smile appeared on the man's face as he looked down at the boy.

"Sora, you'll be okay," Leon said. "No matter what shape reality takes, you can handle it. I may not remember you, but I know you in my heart."

Sora closed his eyes sadly, "Leon..."

"Chin up," Leon said. "I believe in you and I can see great things coming from you. You're a remarkable young man, and have a strong will to fight."

"Aw, go on." Sora chuckled.

Cid finally returned with a strange grin across his face. Luigi and Yoshi both noticed him coming and looked a bit startled at what he was holding. It looked like a metal baseball bat. Luigi began to get nervous again upon seeing that.

"Well, here's your present," Cid said. "A five second head start before I take this here bat and..."

"W-wait!" Luigi panicked. "Don't kill me!"

"...throw it to you," Cid concluded. Luigi looked at Cid in confusion. "You look like the kinda guy that likes baseball, so I thought you'd want it."

"Um, thanks..." Luigi said, slightly confused.

Luigi had a funny feeling there was more to this than what meets the eye.

"But...before I do that," Cid said as he held the bat up. "I'm going take this bat and BASH YOU OVER THE HEAD WITH IT!"

Luigi screamed in fear and ran for it while Cid ran after him. Leon and his group stood there with dropped mouths.

"Oh, dear." Aerith gasped.

"Run for it, Luigi!" Yoshi called. "Yoshi help!"

Yoshi ran after to try and stop Cid from acting up. Toadsworth also followed to help out as well. Sora just rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"Some things never change," Sora chuckled. He then turned to Leon. "Cid won't really hurt Luigi, right?"

"No, Cid won't," Leon shook his head. "He'll get tired in a few minutes and come back on his own. It's best not to bother him when he's enraged." He then shook Sora's hand. "Well, take care, Sora."

"And good luck." Yuffie called as she ran back towards the house.

Yuffie and Leon left and head back towards the house. Aerith, however didn't leave and was still around.

"Hey, aren't you going to join Leon and the others?" Sora asked Aerith.

"Well, I've been thinking about something," Aerith began to explain. " I don't have all the answers, but there's something I thought you should know. Your memories created this town, right?"

"That's what the guy who gave me the card told me." Sora confirmed.

"If that's true, then this town is just a figment of your mind," Aerith said. "Which means so are we."

"You can't be a figment!" Sora protested. "Everything is here! It's all real! The island, the theme park, and you guys!"

"But I'm not really me," Aerith explained. "I don't remember things that I should. I sense things I shouldn't be sensing." A serious tone then rose in her voice. "Sora, beware of your memories."

"My...memories?"

"As you continue your journey, you'll cross paths with even more illusions. The shadow of your memory will sometimes deceive you, trying to lead you astray."

"Um, what exactly does that mean?" Sora asked while scratching his head.

"I'm just another illusion, Sora," Aerith said. "The truth is out of my reach."

"Don't say stuff like that," Sora said shaking his head. "That sounds kinda depressing..."

"No! Sora! Please!" Aerith pleaded. "Don't let those illusions try to distract you from what's truly important!"

Sora didn't understand why Aerith was acting so strange. What were all these things she was telling him? Illusions that would distract him? It didn't make sense to him at first, but he simply nodded to her, understanding. He then heard an out of breath voice.

"Hey, kid!" called Luigi. "Let's go! Cid went home, so let's hightail it out of here before he comes back!"

Sora turned to Luigi and nodded, "Okay. Give me a second."

He then turned back to Aerith, "Well, see you later, Aer..."

Sora noticed that Aerith wasn't there. He looked around, wondering where she went. He would have obviously seen her head towards her house. Strangely, she was no where to be seen.

"Aerith?" Sora called.

"What about Aerith?" Yoshi asked in confusion.

"It's weird," Sora said while rubbing his chin. "I was just talking to Aerith, and I turn away for a moment. When I turned back, she vanished. I don't see any trace of her."

Luigi and Yoshi both looked at each other, a bit surprised by what they just heard. Turning back, Luigi looked up at Sora.

"Well...I hate to say it, but Aerith left awhile ago." Luigi said slowly.

"Huh?"

"Yeah, remember?" Yoshi said a bit confused. "She left with Leon and Yuffie, while Cid chased Luigi around."

"As we ran by you, Master Sora, we wondered why you were standing there by yourself," Toadsworth said suspiciously. "Are you feeling okay?"

Sora put his hand on his forehead.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sora nodded. He then whispered. "So, this is what she meant..."

Luigi pointed his finger at his temple and then rotated it around, saying that Sora was crazy. Sora noticed this and glared evilly at him.

"I saw that!" snapped Sora.

"Only joking," Luigi chuckled. "Come on, let's find away out of here."

The four made their way towards the exit of the park. As Luigi, Toadsworth, and Yoshi walked out of the door, Sora turned around and looked back at the island. He was still wondering if any more illusions would occur as they continued on. At the same time, he felt heartbroken about leaving the same place where he first met his friends. The place where they became a strong team, and worked together to overcome anything.

Sora let the warm breeze and the smell of the beach air embrace him one last time. He then felt something taking his hand. Looking down, he saw Yoshi who smiled at him. The dinosaur could sense Sora's sadness and did the best he could to make him feel better. Seeing Yoshi smile, he then knew that as long as his friends were happy, he was happy, regardless of everything being an illusion. He picked up Yoshi, and gave him a piggyback ride towards the exit of the theme park, laughing at all the good times they had together on the island where it all began.


	4. Where there’s smoke, there’s Axel

**Chapter III: Where There's Smoke, There's Axel**

Sora, Luigi, Yoshi, and Toadsworth made their way towards the exit of the park, wondering what was going to happen next. It was now nighttime and everything appeared to be quite. They heard the warm breeze lightly howl throughout the area. Luigi and Yoshi shivered in fear, being the frighten ones they were. The crickets chirped throughout the entire park, as well as the gentle sounds of the waves. As they approached the gate, they noticed a tiny spec of light appearing right in front of them.

"What that?" Yoshi whimpered in fear.

Sora slowly brought his finger up to the spec and lightly tapped it. The energy felt warmer than the atmosphere around them. It felt like Sora was resting his finger over a campfire. All of a sudden, the energy ball flashed, startling the boy, and causing him to fall back into the others.

"Whoa!" Sora cried.

The four fell over, landing right on the cemented ground, landing on top of each other. They quickly jerked their heads up to notice a giant white portal had appeared right in front of them. Sora stood up and brushed himself off from the fall. Glancing at the portal, he could see a room almost exactly like one of the rooms in Castle Oblivion. He knew that this must be their exit out of here.

"Come on, guys," Sora announced. "Let's get back into the castle."

"Do we have to?" moaned Luigi.

"Yes!" everyone else shouted.

Luigi nervously chuckled, "Just wondering."

The four made their way through the portal, feeling the heat rise for a brief second as they walked through it. As the temperature returned to normal, they felt their feet land on solid ground. The portal behind them shrunk and disappeared again into the castle walls. The room they were now in was designed the same way as the other room they encountered. Only this time, their was no door with a gate, just plain old white stairs that went up.

The four walked to the center of the room, on their guard, knowing someone could ambush them at any given moment.

"Why did we have to come back here?" gulped Luigi.

"Calm down, Luigi," said Yoshi assuring. "Nothing bad going to happen."

"I beg to differ." disagreed the plumber.

Sora stepped forward and called out, "Riku! Riku, where are you?"

"Shut up!" Luigi shushed the boy. "Do you want to wake up the whole castle?"

"Well, I'll do anything to find Riku!" Sora argued. "No one can stop me! I'll tear down this entire castle if I have to! He's my best friend and friends never turn their backs on each other!"

"Agreed," chuckled a sinister voice. "You are willing to go to any height to reunite yourself with those who are distant and far away."

All of a sudden, the hooded man appeared in front of the four friends again. Luigi jumped into Yoshi's arms in fear. The two shivered with fear, whimpering rather loudly. Sora and Toadsworth rolled their eyes. Luigi angrily opened his eyes and shouted at him.

"Hey, bud, ever hear of a door?" Luigi shouted. "It's more proper to use one instead of appearing out of nowhere." He then pointed at Toadsworth. "You almost give the old guy a heart attack."

Toadsworth looked over at Luigi, "Um...I wasn't startled by that."

Ignoring what was going on, the man spoke to Sora.

"Tell me my boy," the man began. "Did you enjoy meeting your memories?"

Sora smiled at first, "Sure. It felt great just to see old faces again. To be able to speak with them again was amazing. " He then made a suspicious look. "But why would you show me an illusion? What do you want out of me?"

The hooded man crossed his arms.

"That depends on what you have to give." responded the man.

Luigi went through his pockets and pulled out some gold coins.

"Here, take twenty gold coins," offered Luigi. "That's all I can give."

"I don't think that's what he was implying, Master Luigi." Toadsworth said.

A serious look came upon Sora's face. He could tell this madman was after something more than just some spare change. This person was looking for a fight, and the four friends were the target. Sora drew his keyblade, holding the handle with both hands. Toadsworth stepped back to get away from the area as the trio got ready to face this man of mystery.

"What I have to give," Sora began. "Is my all! You're not going to stand in the way of my goals! I don't care how powerful you are, I'll still take you down!"

The hooded man lightly chuckled, "Impressive. It is hard to strike fear into you. You're really risking everything, just to see this friend of your's again."

"I'm ready to risk my life to be with Riku and Kairi!" Sora snapped. "My friends mean more to me than anything! I'll kill you if I have to!"

The hooded man put down his arms, "Very well. I shall give you a moment of my time then. Though you are too arrogant to understand everything that is happening."

"You just had to antagonize him." muttered Luigi under his breath.

The trio stood ready to face the man, who had his hands out at his side. Silence was upon the room for a few moments. To the trio, it felt like minutes have flown by. Everything was dead silent, not a sound was made. Sora was already sweating nervously, wondering if he was ready to go another round with the same type of guy he faced from Hallow Bastion. Finally, the man brought his hand up, ready to strike when a voice echoed out of nowhere.

"Boo!" shouted a male voice. "Get the bum with the hood off the stage! He's worthless!"

The hooded man quickly turned to his left, "Wh-what is the meaning of this?"

"Gee, why do you get to hog all the fun?" mocked the voice. "It may be your castle, but we're your guests, and we should be treated better than this."

"Who's there?" Sora demanded to know.

All of a sudden, another dark portal appeared to the left of the hooded man. From out of the portal came another man wearing the dark clothing. However, he wasn't wearing his hood, revealing his face. He had red spiky hair that stood straight up, and evil green eyes that was simply frightening to the four. Sora, however felt something funny about this person. He didn't know what it was, but it was a weird tingling feeling that slowly built up in his body from the bottom of his toe, to the tip of his head.

"What do you want?" the hooded man asked the other man. "I don't have time for your foolishness."

"Eh, kinda got bored," shrugged the man. "And look at you, hogging the hero all for yourself. I swear, you are so greedy. You should be ashamed."

"Silence!" snapped the hooded figure. "I was given orders to test the boy's strength."

The man just grinned, "I'm not listening to a newbie like you. Your number eleven for crying out loud."

"Newbie?" Luigi said in surprise. "Who says newbie anymore?"

"Only people on message boards when they minus the letters i and e, and replace the letter o with zeros." Sora explained.

The hooded man got a little annoyed at the man with red hair.

"I see what you're implying," the hooded man grunted. "Perhaps YOU'D like to test him."

The red-haired man grinned, "Maybe I would."

He then threw a card to the red haired man who caught it.

"Just don't mess this up!" the hooded man said harshly as he vanished.

"What ever you say, mommy." the red haired man said sarcastically.

"Great, now we have to face another one." Luigi groaned.

"Well, boys, looks like this is my show now," said the main as he walked towards the others. "I hope you're enjoying the tour of the place, but you'll be making a small stop."

"So, is Sonic the Hedgehog man going to fight us?" Yoshi asked the man.

"No, I'm going to welcome you with open arms and loads of gifts." the man said sarcastically.

"I'd rather take that, than the pain we're about to receive." Luigi gulped nervously.

"Relax, you turn into a card, remember?" said the man. "My main concern is testing the hero's power."

"Why are you calling him the hero?" Toadsworth asked suspiciously.

"Well, gramps, that's for me to know and you to find out," the man smirked. "The name's Axel." He then pointed his left finger at his temple. "Got it memorized?"

"Well, I'm-a-Luigi," Luigi responded nervously. "How about you don't get my name memorized and watch me run for the exit?"

Luigi quickly ran for it, hoping to get out of fighting. Axel just crossed his arms and light chuckled. He held up his and snapped his finger, causing a giant wall of fire to appear right in front of Luigi, blocking any exit. Everyone felt their mouths drop as the wall of fire started to get smaller. They realized that this Axel had the ability to make fire. Not only because they witness it, but the color of his red hair had that feeling of fire. Luigi ran back to the group in fear.

"Great, we're playing with fire!" Luigi cried. "And no pun intended!"

"How did you do that?" Sora asked Axel.

The man just shrugged his shoulders, "What else? Magic! But enough about that..."

Axel placed his hands at his side and bent his wrist upward. Then, pushing it back in, two rolling balls of fire appeared, rolling into his hands. As the fire dimmed around the ball, Sora noticed that the balls were actually weapons called chakrams. He held the brown handles which were in the shape of a plus sign. On the outward part of the handles, it had a round red circle. Each of the four handles connected to a smaller circle on the edge of the bigger circle.

Those smaller circle's halves were divided by the bigger. One side held the handles, while the other side carries a giant spike. Around the entire circle together there were eight spikes all around the circle. Axel brought each arm out to a horizontal position, ready to fight against the trio. He sinisterly smirked at the trio, knowing that this guy means business.

"Well, Sora," Axel chuckled. "How would you like yourself done? Raw? Medium?" A pillar of flames then appeared around him. "OR EXTRA CRISPY!"

At that moment, Luigi and Yoshi returned into card form and vanished from Sora's sight. The boy gripped the handle tightly and charged directly at Axel. Sora went as fast as he could, getting closer and closer towards Axel. The boy gave a hard thrust at the man, who sidestepped left, spun around Sora, and hit him in the back. The force sent Sora flying into a wall, but he quickly caught himself on it by squatting on the wall.

Kicking against it, Sora flew back and sent a kick at Axel, who ducked underneath it. Sora spun around from the attack, landing with his back to Axel. The man gave a hard kick, but Sora ducked underneath it. Turning around, Sora brought his blade down on Axel, but the man used one of his chakrams to block it. Sora leaped back and ran at Axel again, clashing with the left chakram, then the right, then left again, then right, the quickly giving a one-hundred eighty degrees turn, and slashed horizontally at the man, only for him to jump up, dodging the attack and countering with an air kick to the jaw.

Sora went flying back and quickly did a handstand to catch himself. He charged forward again, and slashed at Axel, who move his upper body left to dodge the attack. Axel threw a punch at him with his right hand, but Sora ducked under the attack and clashed with the left chakram. Sora leaped back and charged again, running at full speed. Axel took one of his chakrams and slammed it into the ground, causing a giant line of fire to appear.

It went right at the boy, who quickly rolled out of the way from the blow. The moment he stood up, Axel appeared right in front of him, out of nowhere.

"Peekaboo!" Axel said.

Axel smacked Sora aside with his weapon, knocking him into a wall. Sora felt the combination of the sharpness of the blade and the burning of Axel's fire power. Sora looked up and saw Axel running at him, with both chakrams glowing bright red, noticing flames surrounding it. Sora quickly ducked just in time as Axel brought his weapons into the wall, causing cracks to appear. Sora quickly rammed his head into the man's chest, knocking him back.

Sora ran forward again, quickly attacking while Axel was knocked back. As he attacked, Axel quickly took out a card and held it in the air. Sora felt his entire body paralyze for a brief moment. He knew that Axel played a card break to save himself. Axel grabbed Sora's shirt collar and threw him against one of the flower statues, breaking it in the process. Axel stood there, arms crossed and confident smirk. He then raised an impressed eyebrow as Sora weakly stood back up, panting all the.

Axel clapped his hands, "Bravo! Bravo! You're doing quite well! Usually people would be too worn out to continue on like that."

Sora used his final card, which was a cure card to revive himself to full power. He then recharged his deck to start over with a new one. Something was seriously wrong, he thought. For some reason, Axel somehow knew every single one of Sora's moves. It's like Axel studied his moves for quite sometime.

"How do you know my moves?" Sora asked. "Have you spied on me before?"

"Actually, this is the first time we've ever met face to face," Axel grinned evilly. "I've only heard about you, but never met you before."

Sora was now perplexed. It was like Axel knew his fighting patterns by heart, but they've never met before. This was definitely baffling the boy. Deciding not to worry about now, Sora charged for Axel again, running at full speed. Sora brought his keyblade down on the man again, who clashed with both chakrams. Axel noticed that Sora was pushing down on him, and the man was having a hard time pushing up. Axel quickly leaped backwards to get away, but Sora was following him. Sora clashed with Axel's weapons, going back and forth between each two. The two walked backwards as they both continued their pattern.

As they reached a wall, Axel was cornered, giving the boy the chance to thrust his chest. Axel quickly spun out of the way, causing Sora's blade to stab the wall. The blade was stuck in there with the boy trying to pull it out. Axel punched at Sora, but the boy ducked under the attack, and quickly ducked down and held the handle with both hands, and quickly kicked up and kicked Axel in the jaw with both feet. As Axel's head flinched back, Sora used his weight to go over the keyblade, while still holding, sort of like a trapeze artist, doing a flip over.

He quickly flipped over again and kicked Axel in the chest, knocking him back. The man quickly did a handstand and stood back up. Sora quickly flipped over the keyblade and landed on the blade in a crouched position, with his left hand on the handle of the blade. Axel lightly growled and threw both of his weapons at Sora, causing the boy to gasp. Sora quickly gripped the handles to get his keyblade out, pulling with everything he got.

Sora moved his head to dodge the first weapon. He then got his keyblade out and put it up vertically, and blocked the attack. The force was so powerful that the boy's feet slid back about ten feet. Axel quickly ran at unhuman-like speed and grabbed the second weapon, still clashing with Sora's blade. Axel threw a punch with his free hand, but Sora moved his head left to dodge it. The second weapon spun back to Axel, who caught it and brought it in to further clash with the keyblade.

The two released their lock and Axel threw a punch at Sora, who blocked it with his keyblade. He threw a punch with the other one, also blocked by the keyblade. The two once again went back and forth until they both clashed together again, the metal of their blades sparking from the hard impact. The two struggled against each other until they finally leaped back. Axel was now starting to try against Sora. He was a lot more tougher than he appeared to be.

"Well, guess I misjudged you, kid," Axel panted. "You're a lot tougher than you appear to be."

"Ha!" Sora laughed. "Check this out!"

Sora tapped three of the cards on his keychain, causing them to vanish before Axel's eyes. His keyblade then began to glow the same red color from before and he pulled his arm back and then threw the keyblade right at Axel. The man lightly chuckled and put both weapons up and blocked the attack, but the force was so powerful, that it pushed him back into wall. Dust and particles exploded from the wall upon impact.

Sora made a cocky grin as the keyblade returned to his hand. Axel leaped out from the particles and landed only ten feet away from Sora. Axel wiped off any debris that was on his cloak, and looked back up at the boy.

"So, you already learned how to use Sleights," Axel said. "Well, don't think you're the only one who can do it." Axel then drew three cards from his pocket. "I happen to have a few tricks up my sleeve as well."

Sora sweated nervously, wondering what kind of Sleights Axel could use. The three cards soon disappeared from Axel's hands and his weapons began to glow a bright orange color. Sora got ready to take the attack head on as a small orange wave surrounded Axel. He was building up energy for his attack. Finally, he slammed his fists into the ground, creating a giant firewall that appeared on the left side and right side of him, preventing him from escaping. The walls made their way closer and closer to the boy, with the heat rising in the area.

Toadsworth fearfully shut his eyes, wishing not to see the result of the attack. As Sora tried to think of a way out of this, Sora turned to see Axel's two weapons spinning at him. The boy knocked both of them aside with two quick swings of the keyblade. The fire got closer and closer and closer until they were about a foot away from him. Axel watched as the flames came together, creating one giant fire wave that bursted into the ceiling.

The attack soon ended with the fire subsiding from the arena. Toadsworth opened his eyes, not sure if he was willing to see the results of the damage. Axel stood their, emotionless, arms crossed, and tapping his foot.

"_Amazing." _Axel thought impressed. "_He knows how to play his cards right after all." _

Toadsworth looked over in the area, and what he saw caused a sigh of relief. Just before the fire hit him, Sora used his summon card to call in Ness, who used a giant blue energy shield to protect Sora from the attack. The boy wiped his forehead, lucky enough to survive that attack. He had to figure out someway to defeat Axel.

"_Man, I got think of someway to defeat this hothead," _Sora thought deeply. _"I'd need an entire fire truck in here just to..."_

It then snapped in his brain. Of course, he thought. If Axel could produce large amounts of fire from his body, then he must be supper effective to water. Sora knew that he didn't have a water based spell, but he knew someone who carried water. Sora quickly scanned the area, hoping to find what he was looking for. He then saw a Luigi card bouncing around the area. Axel took notice of this and quickly ran for the card.

"I won't let you call in one of your little pals to help." said Axel as he ran for it.

Sora quickly shuffled his deck again and used another group of high powered cards and released another Strike Raid. This time, his keyblade hit Axel in the chest, knocking him back. Sora quickly dove for the card and grabbed it. He held it up into the air and called Luigi's name. Soon enough, the plumber appeared before Sora.

"Hey, kid," Luigi greeted his friend. "Need a hand with this guy? At this rate he could get fired."

"Please, no jokes right now," Sora moaned. He then made a serious glare. "I need you to call in F.L.U.D.D. It's the only way we can beat him."

"One super cool down coming right up!" Luigi announced as he pushed a button on the P3000.

The vacuum soon disappeared from Luigi's back, being replaced by a strange pumping device. It had to brown pumps on its side, with a see through body where the water can be seen and a yellow nozzle on top. It began to move on its own and targeted Axel, who was charging at Luigi.

"Luigi, target is in position." it said in a high pitched robotic voice.

"Then let's give this pyro-head a taste of pasta power!" Luigi shouted.

Luigi the gripped the two pumps, "Fire...no...I...mean...water...erm...no...wait...oh just shoot already!" Luigi squeezed the two pumps, causing water to come shooting out of it. Axel stop dead in his tracks and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh, no!" he exclaimed. "Not the water!"

The water hit Axel in the chest, causing steam to emerge from his body. He felt himself losing body heat from the impact of water. Sora cheered as F.L.U.D.D used up the last of its tank. The boy gave Luigi a thumbs up.

"Thanks, Luigi." Sora smiled.

"No problem," Luigi smiled in return. "Hurry up! Finish him off!"

Luigi returned to his card as Sora ran at Axel and finished the job with a hard vertical slash to the chest, sending him crashing to the ground. Axel weakly stood up, with steam coming out of him from the water. Soon enough, he slowly began to descend into his coat.

"I'm melting! I'm melting!" he cried. "Oh, what a world! What a world! Who would've thought that a little brat like you could defeat some good looking dude like me. Ah! I'm going! I'm going!"

Axel soon disappeared into his coat, which became lifeless and fell on the ground. Sora made his famous smile and rubbed the bottom of his nose with his finger in victory.

"Yeah!" Sora cheered. "We did it, guys!"

Toadsworth ran over to Sora and congratulated him on a job well done. Toadsworth knew that Sora had what it took to make it through the castle. With the support of his friends, the amazing power of the keyblade, and learning the ways of the cards, they would make it through the castle with no problems...or so he thought. Luigi and Yoshi returned seconds later from their card forms and rejoined the group. Yoshi jumped up and down in victory.

"Hooray!" Yoshi cheered. "Sora, Luigi, and Yoshi won."

"If it wasn't for me," Luigi said proudly. "We would have been mince meat."

Sora smiled at Luigi, "Thanks, Luigi. You really do pull through in battle for us."

Luigi flexed his muscle, "Well what can I say? I'm big, I'm tough, and I'll bring them the pain, baby!"

"Okay, Hogan," Sora rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say."

"Look!" Yoshi exclaimed. Sora turned to notice more cards that were similar to the first one they received to enter Isle Delfino. "More cards?"

Sora walked over to them and picked them up. In total, there were about five different cards on the ground, each with different colors on them. The first one was green, the second yellow, the third an orange color, the fourth white, and the fifth purple. Toadsworth moved his glasses around to adjust them and observed the cards.

"Yes," confirmed Toadsworth. "They appear to look like the card that gained us access to Isle Delfino."

Toadsworth was right. Each picture on the card had a round world on each of them. Sora knew that the journey had only begun, but he knew that if he stayed focused and worked hard, he'd find Riku and Mario, just like the hooded man claimed.

"Then I guess we need to move on." Sora announced.

"Ding! Ding! Ding!" called a voice. "That's absolutely correct!"

The four quickly turned back towards where Axel "melted", only to see the man alive and well, standing their with crossed arms and a sinister smirk. Luigi jumped into Yoshi's arms in fear, who was also shivering.

"Axel!" Luigi cried in fear. "That's impossible!"

"No, improbable," corrected Axel. "Nothing's impossible." He then lightly chuckled. "Always wanted to try that melting thing."

"Sonic the Hedgehog man alive!" Yoshi exclaimed.

"No kidding, scaly boy," Axel said in a duh tone. "And it's Axel." He then grinned. "You didn't think after an intro like that, I'd just give up the ghost, did ya?"

"I had a feeling you were still alive," Sora said calmly. "You were just testing our strength, weren't you?"

"And you passed with flying colors, kid," Axel said. "Congrats, Sora. You are now more than ready to tackle Castle Oblivion. You got to follow your memories. Trust what you remember, seek what you forget...and you'll find someone very special to you."

"Does Sonic the Hedgehog man mean Riku and Mario?" Yoshi asked.

"It's AXEL!" snapped Axel. "I told you to get it memorized! That's spelled A-X-E-L! GOT IT MEMORIZED?"

Yoshi whimpered in fear and ran behind Sora. The boy made an angry look at the dark clothed man.

"Hey, don't shout at him!" Sora said angrily.

Axel calmly crossed his arms, "You're right. You're right. But to answer your question little fella, I'm not too sure. But I will say to give it some more thought on who's most important to you. Sometimes our most precious memories lie deep within the confinements of our hearts, out of reach. But you can find yours, Sora."

"Where? How?" Sora asked curiously.

"The light within the darkness of course," Axel responded with a thumbs up. "You've lost sight of it, kiddo. You've forgotten forgetting."

"Light?" Sora said in confusion. "I don't understand."

"Being the kind gent that I am, I could give you a hint." Axel offered.

Sora stood there for a moment, letting everything sink in to his mind. The light within the darkness, he thought. Where would he find this light? How could he use it? The others waited for Sora's response, wondering if he would accept Axel hint to finding what he was searching for.

"Well, Sora?" Yoshi finally spoke up.

Sora looked up at Axel, a glare of confidence and determination sparked in his blue eyes. Axel could tell that this kid had a strong will to sought out the answer himself.

"Thanks, but no thanks," Sora rejected the offer. "I'd like to figure on my own."

"Well, can he tell me at least?" Luigi whined. "Or at least give me a note card?"

Everyone else gave Luigi a dirty look. The man then put his hands in his pockets and chuckled nervously.

"Anyway, I can do it on my own," Sora continued. He then made a serious glare. "But if you try to get in my way..."

"Don't worry!" Yoshi cried bravely as he stood next to Sora. "Yoshi and Luigi see to that."

"Now that's my kinda answer," Axel laughed. "Just what I'd expect from the great Keyblade master. Well, time for me to be heading out. Hope you boys enjoy the rest of your stay here."

"I'm not going any further!" Luigi said nervously. "This is a trap! I know it! I'm getting out of here while I still have a chance!"

He then began to turn around and walk back towards Isle Delfino.

"Oh, you can't get out backwards," Axel said. "You have to forward togo back. I think you better press on."

"He's right, Luigi," Sora agreed. "We don't have any other option at this point. We could blow our only chance at finding Riku and your brother."

Complying, Luigi walked back towards the group. Axel just looked at Sora one last time, with an evil glare in his eyes.

"Well, get to the adventuring," Axel said. "But be forewarned...when your sleeping memories awaken, you may no longer be you. You may no longer remember things you once knew."

Sora gripped his pocket, tightly squeezing Kairi's star pendant, trying to keep the image of her in his mind. Those beautiful sparkling blue eyes, the flowing red hair. His childhood with her. He sighed with relief as he still had those memories of her. Looking to his friends, he remembered them too. He then knew that everything would be okay. Soon enough, Axel disappeared into the darkness of the abyss, leaving the four left to think for themselves.

Knowing they had not time to waste, they decided to head up stairs. As they arrived up stairs, they noticed they were in the same exact room they started in, only they were now on the second floor. Sora noticed another gated door at the end of the hallway.

"Well, let's go, guys!" Sora said enthusiastically. "Looks like we're going on a whole new adventure!"

"Yeah, and whatever awaits there, Sora, Luigi, Yoshi, and Toadsworth face it together." Yoshi nodded.

"Even I'm game now," Luigi said excitedly. "My brother could really be here, and your friend could be here, too." He then turned to Yoshi. "By the way, why did you call Axel Sonic the Hedgehog man?"

"He have funny hair like Sonic, that's why." responded Yoshi. "He look funny with funny big hair."

"As the rest of the people I've met on this journey," Luigi added. "Now, let's get going!"

"Hmm..." Toadsworth said in thought.

Everyone stopped and turned to Toadsworth.

"Something on your mind, Toadsworth?" Sora asked in concern. "You look worried."

"What Axel said has been bothering me," Toadsworth said worryingly. "What did he mean by you could no longer be you?"

"Hey, don't worry," Sora smiled. "Besides, how can I be anyone else besides me?"

"True," Luigi nodded. "It's hard to change that whiney, dumbfounded, overt talkative personality. And he asks too many questions, too."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Sora asked offended.

"See my point?" Luigi said.

"Sora never change," Yoshi agreed. "Sora can only be Sora, and Yoshi like Sora just the way he is."

"Yes, I understand that, but it stills pay to be careful." Toadsworth advised.

"Yeah, anything could happen in Castle Oblibbity...uh,...Oblostemy...onomatopoeia..."

"Oblivion!" Luigi corrected. _"Onomatopoeia wasn't even close."_

"Oh, what Luigi said." Yoshi giggled.

Sora bent over and put his arms around his friends, "Don't worry. We're the ultimate dream team here, and as long as we stick together, we can take anything these guys throw at us. This castle won't stop us, right?"

"Right!" Luigi and Toadsworth excitedly agreed.

"Right, just like other castle Sora, Luigi, Toadsworth, and Yoshi visited!" Yoshi cheered. The others strangely looked at him. "Huh? Doesn't Sora, Luigi, and Toadsworth remember? The one with funny contraptions that make whole castle work?"

The others began to think about it for a moment. Searching their memories, they tried to remember visiting another castle before coming here. However, they could not think of any other castle, but the one they were currently in.

"I can't think of any other castles besides this one," Luigi spoke up. "If there was a castle with contraptions, do you remember the name?"

Yoshi rubbed his chin in deep thought. A part of the name was relevant in his mind, but somehow he couldn't grasp it in his hands. He tried as hard as he could, clearing out the space around him. But the whole word come to mind.

"Um...Yoshi thinking..." Yoshi said. "What was it again? Holla...Holler...Howl..."

"Are you sure you're not making it up?" Sora asked Yoshi.

Yoshi looked at Sora, a bit unsure, "Yoshi think so..."

Sora just smiled, "As we move on, try to think of it. Let's go guys! Our friends await!"

Toadsworth got on Yoshi's back and the three approached the door to the next world. Going through his pocket, Sora took out the green card first. He observed the card and saw the name of the world was Hyrule. Holding the card up to the door, the gates opened and another bright light appeared. The boy and his friends nodded to each other and entered the portal, on their way to the next world.

A/N: Yoshi calling Axel Sonic the Hedgehog man was curtsey of a talented authoress named WindofDancingFlame who created a story called "The Organization Goes Ice Skating" where the line originated from. Thanks again.


	5. Reverse: Confronting the Past

A/N: I will be combinding both Sora and Riku's adventures in this story. In Chain of Memories, after finishing Sora's adventures, you'll get to play the game again, this time as Riku in a whole new story. Instead of either doing a whole separate story or waiting till the end, both stories will be combined. How I plan to pull this off will not be easy, due to the fact that Riku will be visiting the same worlds as Sora (though there is no dialogue) I'll think of someway to make it work, but I will present the first side of Riku's story. Sora chapters will be labeled Chapter and then the number, while Riku's side will be labeled Reverse and then the number title. Enjoy the first chapter of Reverse Rebirth: The Nintendo Version.

**Reverse I: Confronting the Past**

Endless darkness...eternal darkness...lost in the darkness. A feeling that makes you feel all alone. Wandering through the endless abyss, surrounded by questions, wondering if this was your fate. Surrounded by nothingness, you feel lost, confused, and a little scared. With each breath you take, you can feel the sound of silence with only the sounds of your breath and your heart beat. Your body becomes heavier, heavier as you feel the pain you brought on the world. You struggle to move, but you can't move period.

A mysterious figure lied in dormant upon this eternal darkness. His face was flat against the warm, but hard ground. He felt his body paralyzed all around, as though a giant's foot pressed against his back, forcing him to stay down. Finally, the figure slowly used all of his strength and will to slowly sit right side up. His hands were placed behind his back and his legs were spread out. The dark had a hard time revealing this strange person, but he appeared to be a young man around Sora's age. He looked around the endless abyss, feeling lost, frightened, and confused.

"Huh?" he groaned, still recovering from his sleep. "Where...where am I? Hello? Is anyone there?"

"Sleep." whispered a voice from the darkness.

The young man, feeling alert from the eerie voice quickly jumped to his feet and bravely glanced around the room of nothingness, trying to find the strange voice.

"Who's there?" he demanded to know. "Show yourself!"

"Sleep," the voice responded softly. "Let yourself relax. Close your eyes and return to heavenly sleep between light and darkness."

"What do you mean, you crazy old nut?" the boy responded spitefully. "What place between light and dark?"

He then remembered that he wasn't suppose to be alone here. Upon his actions to save the world from evil, he wasn't the only one that was supposed to be trapped in this world of nothingness.

"Mr. Mario!" the boy called out. "Mr. Mario! Are you here? Where are you? Please, help me!" There was no response. "Come on, you have to be here! Together we closed the door to darkness, and after that..." He tried to remember what happened next, but upon searching deep in his memories, he found nothing.

He held his head in frustration, "Grr...why can't I remember? What's going on here?"

"Calm down," the voice said softly, but a bit mocking. "The plumber is far away from you. So far that his voice can no longer be heard. Return back to sleep, and leave the war of darkness in his hands. Awake into the thorny light will only bring you pain and suffering. Turn away from the light and close your eyes."

The boy looked up at the sky, feeling a bit disappointed, "The way you're telling me that, it's like you're treating me like a demon from the darkness." He then sighed sadly. "Or maybe this is my destiny, to live in the darkness. My actions have caused a lot of problems, and maybe I should...NO! I can't! This isn't my fate! I'm not ready to sleep!"

"Here, blanketed by the darkness, sleep is safety," whispered the voice again. "Sleep is good."

"Shut up!" the boy snapped. "For your information, buddy, I'm not that tired anyways. Besides, can't sleep without a warm glass of milk." All of a sudden, a white object appeared before him. His eyes still were adjusting, so he didn't know what it actually was at first and talked in a duh like voice. "I was kidding!"

"Look closer," the voice whispered. "It is not what it appears to be."

With his vision finally clear, what he saw startled him. It was a bright, white, glowing card that looked like the one Sora received earlier through his adventure in Castle Oblivion.

"A card?" said the boy baffled.

"It is a door to the truth," the voice explained. "Take it, and your sleep ends. Take it, and take the first step towards the truth. But know this; the truth will bring you pain. If you still choose to go, you will discover truths that will haunt you forever, and leave you with restless nights. Once you leave, you can never return to the sanctuary of sleep."

The boy thought about his choice for the moment. In life he knew that backing down from a challenge was never an answer. He didn't want to spend the rest of his life in an endless realm of nothingness. This was his chance, he thought to make things right and make up for everything he's done to hurt the ones he cared for. His answer was unanimous. He took the card and held it up to his face.

"Yeah, I'd rather sleep in a five star hotel than in this dump." the boy said jokingly.

"Very well said...Riku." the voice whispered one last time.

Soon a bright light consumed him, causing the boy to shield his eyes from the brightness for a moment. He felt his body being pulled by gravity into another world, a new world of which the likes he never seen before. Soon, the brightness dimmed and he arrived in the same exact room Sora was in a few minutes ago. The young man was revealed to where a yellow sleeveless shirt, dark blue jeans, blue shoes, and had white silver hair.

Riku looked around at his new environment, stunned by this place he's never seen before. The same room Sora arrived in only an hour or two ago. He noticed the room was completely white with a little mixture of blue. Riku noticed the pattern in the middle of the room which appeared to be a small letter I shape, with the circle connected to the rectangular part. A smaller white rectangle filled in the large rectangle on the outside. Inside the circle was a sun shaped pattern. Riku looked to see large round supporters at each edge of the room, which supported the castle. He also noticed a statue like objects all around the room that appeared like the top of a castle, with four little bricks that stuck out on top. They were pushed out so they could support a white rose type of object.

All on the walls seemed to be models of roses that stuck out everywhere. At the end of the room was a small stairway that went up onto a platform with a door next to it. The doors were actually golden gates and a white light seem to come from it. All he knew was that he wasn't going to turn back now. He had two choices and he decided to take the hard way out. He'd rather know the truth, than to hide from it. He held the card up towards the door, still pondering about what the voice said.

"A door to the truth, huh." Riku whispered.

He took a deep breath and approached the gated door on the top as he placed the card in his pocket. He knew that it was the only way he could go, so he gripped the bars and tried to pull open the door, only to struggle with the heard metal. Riku used everything he got to open the door, but the silver haired boy couldn't budge it. Sweat poured down his face as he tried for a few minutes, but couldn't open the door. He thought about using his weapon, the Souleater, but realized that any out loud disturbances could lead to trouble.

All of a sudden, Riku could see a light appear from the corner of his eyes. He looked down and saw the light glow from his pocket. He took the card out, realizing this card was the only way to open the door. Holding it up, the card gave off a bright shine to the door, causing the gates to open, revealing a glow of light within. The card Riku held disappeared before his eyes. He knew that he had no choice and had to move on. Slowly taking a deep breath, he walked into the room, expecting the worse to happen.

All he saw was light embrace his face as the force of gravity pulled him through the endless ray of light. He shielded his eyes from the extreme brightness that shined in his eyes. The pull of gravity felt stronger with each passing second, making him feel like his skin was getting ripped off of his body. He could barely breath for the moment as it got brighter and brighter. Finally, Riku's journey ended as a dark portal appeared at the end and pulled him though it. As he exited the portal, he fell right on the hard cold gravel. Riku sat up and rubbed the pain on his face from the impact.

"Ugh!" he groaned. "Talk about a first class flight."

Riku stood up and rubbed his face for a few more seconds. As the pain finally subsided from the boy, he opened his eyes and looked around the room. What he saw made his eyes widen in surprise. To him, it felt like he just fell asleep and entered a nightmare. This place couldn't be what he thought it was, could it? He was in a rather large hallway with multicolor glass windows on each side of him, giving it the feeling of a church.

The pink castle like walls were worn out, so worn out that holes appeared on them. He also noticed the tiled floor with purple and gray squares. There were some large squares that were giant holes with pipes moving along side of them. As he looked up, more pipes were moving along the edge of the hallway. Riku was speechless at seeing this place. Just the thought of being here made him feel afraid, confused, and angry at the same time.

"This is Hallow Bastion!" Riku exclaimed. "Bowser's castle! How did I get HERE?"

He walked up to the worn out walls and lightly touched them, feeling the solid structure.

"This is all real!" he continued. "Someone must have brought me here while I was sleeping." He looked around the castle again. "But the question is...who?"

"I knew you'd be surprised, boy," called a voice. "It must feel good to be home sweet home."

Riku jumped back in surprise, "Sorry, bud, but a man's home is his castle, and this piece of ruble isn't my castle. Don't tell me YOU brought me back here. This is one thing I'd like to forget!"

"Hm, you'd like to forget about this place?" the voice questioned. "Well, that would be kind of hard to do, considering this world was created right from your memories."

"My memories?" Riku blinked in confusion. He then gasped in surprise "Wait a minute! Are you saying this world is just a memory?"

"Precisely," the voice confirmed. "What you see is an illusion of things you once saw. All of the memories from your time at Bowser's castle was transferred into a card. And that card transformed it into this world. That is the rule of Castle Oblivion."

"What?" Riku asked. "Castle Oblivion? You mean this whole place is some other castle?"

"You catch on quickly, Riku," the voice lightly chuckled. "Now tell me, the things you see before you, have you not seen them before?"

Riku lowered his head and softly spoke up.

"Yeah, how much I hate looking at this place," he said lowly. He then looked up at the sky. "But why would you show me this? If this is based off of my memories, then am I suppose to learn something about my past? Or maybe meet someone I once knew?"

"Ordinarily...yes," responded the voice. "You would meet those people from your memories."

"What do you mean by ordinarily?" Riku asked in suspicion. There was no response. "Hey, I'm asking you a question! Don't go silent on me!" Riku sighed in annoyance. "Fine! I'll find that answer out by myself. But the next person I meet better be you, voice. I think it's kinda stupid talking to nothing but thin air."

Looking down, Riku notice a golden labeled card, just like the one Sora received earlier. He picked it up and looked at it.

"Hm, this guy likes to use trading cards as tools?" Riku said to himself. "That's pretty sad. But it looks like I have to use this stupid thing to move on."

Riku began his journey throughout the castle of his dark past.

**World Name: Hallow Bastion**

Riku walked down the hallway and headed towards a white door which was at the edge of it. As he proceeded, a dark hole appeared on the floor. Before his eyes, a heartless shadow appeared before him. Riku drew his sword, the Souleater, a dark sword that curved upward, with one side of the blade colored dark blue, while the other side was dark red. Riku was surprised as how the heartless were still around.

"The heartless!" Riku exclaimed. "How are they still alive?" One leaped at him, but he quickly dodged the attack. "Kill now, ask questions later."

Riku quickly ran at the heartless and slashed it aside, cutting through the upper and lower body. Two more appeared and charged at him, leaping into the air. Riku dove under the attack and slid on his stomach. Quickly, he pushed his arms up and did a front flip up. Turning around, he saw the two heartless come at him, but he slashed them both aside. He ran down the hallway, slashing through more shadows that came at him.

One swatted at him, but Riku leaped back and pressed his feet against a wall, kicking swiftly back. He slashed at the shadow, knocking it aside. As he landed, another one swatted from above and ducked under it. While squatted down, two more ran at him, but thinking quickly, Riku threw his sword at the one in the air, cutting it to piece as he leaped over the other two. Doing a handstand, he grabbed his sword with the heels of his feet, and arching his back into the position of a skateboarder doing a handstand on a half pike, he slid down and slashed the two aside.

He spun like a top for a moment and quickly spun back up, grabbing his sword with his hand. He looked up, only to see three more jumping at him. Riku quickly dove over them and ran for the door, only to see the three chasing him to the door. More shadows then tried to block his path. One leaped up from the left, but the boy leaped up to it and vertically slashed it to pieces. Leaping onto another wall, he jumped off and slashed another one coming at him and landed on his feet, bent over.

Two then appeared at his face and swatted at him, but the silver haired boy blocked the attack with his sword. Using his strength, he pushed the two heartless off of him, knocking them straight into a wall. Riku continued to move, knocking heartless after heartless off of him. Riku finally reached the door at the end of the hallway, and turned to block another heartless attack. Riku used the corner of his eye to see the door he was at had a golden outline around it. Remembering the strange card he received, he went through his pocket to get it out.

While doing so, he used his other hand to hold his sword and block the heartless attacks. One swatted at him, but the boy ducked under the attack and rolled his way down on the wall. As he reached the corner, he finally got the card out, only for a heartless to knock it out of his hand.

"Crud!" Riku shouted in frustration.

The heartless grabbed the card and ran down the hall with it. Riku chased after the creature, knocking away any heartless that stood in his way. As he angrily charged for the heartless holding the card, the creature quickly threw it into the air. A dragon like heartless caught it in its claws, and flew down another hallway. Riku gritted his teeth in anger and ran after the heartless, knocking more and more aside. At the end of the other hall was a giant hole in the ground.

The heartless brought it over to the hole and flew around it, holding the card firmly within its claws. Riku quickly arrived at the edge, almost going over the edge. The boy quickly stopped as his chest started moving towards the hole. Going on the tip of his toes, Riku caught balance and waved his arms around to get more balance back. Finally, Riku was able to stand up straight again. Looking back up, he saw the heartless was flying around the area.

As it flew over towards Riku, he quickly leaped off the edge and got on the creatures back. Getting startled, the creature flew off towards another hallway that was on the left side of the giant hole. Riku struggled with the creature for sometime, as it aimlessly flew over pipes. At one point, one hit Riku in the face, knocking him off. As he flew off, Riku landed on another pipe and ran after it. He quickly grabbed another pipe and swung himself onto another.

He leaped onto another pipe as the pipe he was on came to an end. Landing on the other pipe, Riku continued to move from pipe to pipe until he finally jumped back onto the heartless and rode it again. Riku quickly stabbed the creature right in the back, destroying it for good. He and the card then began to fall into the darkness of the castle. Thinking quickly, Riku stabbed one of the pipes with his blade and using his heels, grabbed the card just in time.

Riku bent his knees up and grabbed the card with his left free hand. He gave a sigh of relief.

"Lesson learned," he said to himself. "Always kill the heartless before opening a door."

Using all of his strength, he pulled himself onto the pipe, holding his blade and the card. As he landed on the pipe, he slowly stood up and made his way back towards the hallways.

"That takes care of that," Riku smiled in victory. "Now to get this stupid thing in the..."

At that moment, another dragon heartless came and snatched the card right under Riku's nose.

"Aw, come on!" Riku said angrily.

And so he chased after the heartless again.

Thirty minutes later...

Riku walked up to the door, panting all the way from chasing the heartless around the castle. He made sure to keep the card hidden in his pocket until he was at the door and away from the heartless. As he finally reached the door, he held up the card and sighed again.

"Sora, Kairi, the things I do for you guys." sighed Riku with a weak chuckle.

Riku held the card up towards the door and a flash of light brightened the area, causing the boy to shield his eyes. As the light dimmed, he saw that the door was completely open now. Without hesitating, Riku ran into the door, awaiting something to happen. As he walked through the door, he saw something that was familiar to him.

He noticed to his right was a bookshelf that had many books on it with all different colors. To his left he saw a giant bed with a neatly folded red blanket on it. Next to the bed were two diamonded shaped windows that were fully open, revealing the sunset upon the horizon. Across from the head of the bed was a small desk with a candle that was lit up and another book that was on it. Riku sat on the bed, silently looking over this room. How it brought on more terrible memories of his past. He gently stroke the blanket with his hand, feeling the soft sheets of the blankets.

"It's like he said," Riku whispered sadly. "Everything's just how I remembered it." His eyes lowered even more. "Even this room..."

"Then it must be nice to be back in your old room," called the strange voice. "Just think of all the memories..."

Riku looked up at the sky with a spiteful look, "Oh, it's you again. Hate to break it to ya, but this isn't exactly a memory I'd want to see on a Hallmark card. That fat piece of lard who claims to be the king of all koopas gave me this room."

"So he did," said the voice. "All because he tempted you with the darkness. That's how little children like you behave; you want nothing but candy and cookies, but overdoing it can cause you to even cast aside other things that are most important to you, and it's mostly because little children like you get tempted from bigger children. You ended up living here because you were tempted by the darkness he offered you. And for that you cast away your home, your family, your friends, everything."

"Enough!" Riku shouted angrily.

"Look at the bright side my boy," the voice laughed. "At least you got a nice room."

Riku had enough of hearing this voice. Just being reminded of his past sparked fumes deep within his chest. He felt like he was about explode and rip the entire room apart. Standing up, he angrily shouted at the voice.

"SHUT UP!" Riku shouted in rage. "YOU DON'T ANYTHING ABOUT ME!"

He angrily ran out of the room and slammed the door behind him. Arriving in the main hallway, Riku slid his hands into his pockets and looked up at the ceiling of the warn out castle.

"I can never forgive myself," Riku said sadly. "Maybe he is right. I just cast away all those who were most important to me. Kairi...Sora...I put you two through so much suffering. Maybe I made a mistake in accepting that card."

Riku went through his pocket and pulled out something he felt. It was yet another golden card. At that moment, he wanted to throw it down and forget everything and just turn around. He could not make up for the terrible deeds he caused to hurt Sora and Kairi, his two best friends in the whole wide world. All of a sudden, he saw them appear in his mind. He saw them smiling at him, looking up to him like he was their big brother. He saw Sora make his famous goofy smile, showing his carefree spirit and attitude.

He knew that Sora would forgive him. Riku realized that Sora went to great lengths, just to rescue him from the darkness. Kairi, with her sweetness and caring heart would also forgive Riku for what he's done. Smiling, Riku placed the card back in his pocket, knowing that no matter what happened they would always forgive him. But still, Riku still needed to make up for his wrongs, but he didn't know how to begin.

Riku continued to walk through the many hallways of the castle, using his memories to guide him to the next room. He knew every direction, turn, and route as if he lived in the castle of darkness his whole life. He also encountered more heartless on the way. Using every ounce of his strength, he fought the heartless, slashing through each creature with everything thing he got. He arrived at a group of stairs and ran up, fighting off even more heartless that stood in his way.

A dragon heartless dove in from above and rammed their heads into the boy's head, knocking him down the stairs. He quickly kicked his feet and jumped back up. The heart flew at him again, spinning its body right at him. Riku gripped the handle of his blade tightly, getting ready for the assault. The dragon flew at Riku with full speed. Riku swatted his blade hardly and cut through the heartless' body, destroying it instantly.

Riku ran up the stairs, fighting heartless after heartless. As he reached the top, he noticed another golden door. Riku ran as fast as he could to the door, knocking any heartless off of his back that tried to tackle him. Finally, he lost the heartless as he sprung for the door. Holding up his golden card again, the door opened again and Riku entered it. However, there was nothing in the next room. It looked like an old library with a green carpet below him, and a bookshelf to his right with no books in it what so ever. In the front of him was a desk with papers spread all over it.

There wasn't that much in the room, making it feel kind of hollow. He looked around, hoping that he'd be able to meet people he once knew. If that was true, then Sora and Kairi had to be around.

"Hello!" Riku called. "Is anyone here?"

There was no response. The only response Riku got was the sound of his own voice, lightly echoing throughout the room. He sadly slid his hands into his pocket, knowing that nobody was here.

"I guess not," Riku said sadly. "The only things I've ran into so far that rings a bell are the heartless, and they've practically taken over the entire castle." He looked up at the sky. "Don't think I don't know you're there, voice. I know you've been watching me this entire time."

The voice lightly chortled, "My, how quickly you catch on."

"I've had enough of your gags!" Riku snapped at the voice. "I want answers and I demanded them now!"

"Why now?" the voice asked. "Hasn't everything we sought out to discover been a question? There is an answer for everything, but as we have always had to discover answers to many of life's mysteries on our own. What makes you think I have all the answers?"

"Simple," Riku responded. "You seem to know what's going on around here a lot better than I do. If you won't answer my questions about my purpose, then at least hear me out. If you say that I should be meeting people from my memories, then where are they? Where are the people from my memories? Tell me!"

"Well, that depends," the voice said. "How badly do you want to see them?"

Riku replied loudly, "More than anything!"

"But you cast them aside," the voice pointed out. "In order to reach the outside world, you had to past through the door to darkness. In doing so, you cast away everything you held onto closely, including your family, friends, home, everything. You betrayed them all just for your pursuit of darkness. Like an addict who can't get enough of things, the more you used it, the more people became distant from you from that dirty addiction."

"Did I ever tell you how annoying your voice is?" Riku groaned. "Did you forget? I cast the darkness aside, too."

"Then what do you have to show for it?" the voice asked. "First your home, then the darkness. It seems the only thing your heart is good at is to cast things aside." Riku growled in anger. "Don't take your anger out on me for something that I didn't do. Your heart only knows how to cast things away. It's so empty, that it looks like this room. Like your memories. That's why no one else is in this castle. Saving the darkness in your heart you couldn't quite shake off, your heart is nothing but a hallow shell."

Riku just scoffed, "You're full of it! I rejected the darkness!"

The voice lightly chuckled, "Is that so? Is that what you believe?"

"When Ansem was defeated I was free from him," explained Riku. "True, I was lost in the door to darkness, but I didn't accept its darkness."

The voice was silent from that point on. Riku was simply growing angrier with each passing second. This voice claimed the darkness still had him, but Riku rejected it. At moments though, he had a bit of self-doubt, wondering if maybe there was darkness. The boy still however felt a bit of denial in himself. He began to question the presence of darkness in his heart. Like leftover particles from dust, there could have been a leftover of darkness.

He bent over to pick up another card that appeared on the ground. Pocketing it, he headed out towards the exit, stopping for a brief moment and glanced back at the room. Shaking his head, he exited the room. Riku arrived in another room where caged blue lights were right in front of him. In front of him was a bird cage looking elevator. Riku looked left and noticed a stick with a spiky ball on the edge of it. The boy walked over to it and rested his hand on it. At that moment, it started glowing an orange color.

Four of the caged lights moved upward, revealing the entrance to the elevator. Riku knew how everything worked, so he walked into the cage casually. As he arrived inside, the gates automatically behind him closed. The elevator then began to make its way up, moving quickly through the endless tunnel. Riku leaned against the cage, which an invisible barrier allowed him to rest his back on it like a solid wall. A few seconds later, the cage stopped in the middle between floors.

Riku curiously stood up and looked around, _"Stupid thing broke down again."_

All of a sudden, a giant blue heartless holding a blue shield in its hand appeared right in front of him. Riku called forth his sword and charged for the creature. In the middle of the shield was a dog like face that chomped viciously at Riku. The boy leaped into the air and brought his sword on the heartless, but it put it shield up, blocking the attack. It then pushed Riku over him, sending him flying. Riku quickly kicked against the wall and charged back at the armor.

The armor quickly spun around and fired orange energy balls at the boy, which Riku deflected. As another one came at him, he put his sword up to block it and push it back as another energy ball came at him. The two collided, creating a small explosion, which blinded the shield heartless for the moment. Riku took this chance to slide behind the creature and hardly slash his back. The creature got knocked back into the wall, with its shield knocked out of its hands. Riku ran for the creature again, and as he thrust at it, the heartless quickly moved out of the way and grabbed it shield.

It then knocked Riku back to the other side of the room. Riku quickly did a handstand and slid back. He then leaped onto his feet and charged forward again. He clashed with the shield and then leaped back. He jumped onto it and brought his sword down again. Just as he was about to attack, Riku quickly outsmarted the heartless by stepping on the edge of the creatures shield, and then pushing off of it. Landing behind it, he slashed it in the back again, causing the metal on its body to peel off.

The heartless spun around and knocked Riku in the jaw with the side of its shield, knocking the boy back. Riku landed on his feet as he slid back. Gently rubbing his chin, he got ready for another go with the heartless. It fired more energy balls at Riku, but the boy quickly rolled to the side to dodge it. Riku leaped forward again, clashing with the shield heartless. The heartless knocked Riku back, but this time, the boy used his strength to pull the shield out of the heartless' hand.

Riku leaped up while holding the shield with one hand, and put it down on the ground, with his knees landing on the part where the handle was. Riku slid around the elevator for the moment, sparks flying out from the impact of the bottom of the shield and the floor. As Riku reached the wall, the boy stabbed the ground with his sword and spun around, sliding back towards his foe with blazing speed. Placing both hands on his sword, he stabbed the ground again, pushing hardly into the ground, pulling himself into the air.

Releasing the sword, he went flying into the air and crashed into the heartless, with the shield and Riku's weight hitting him hard. The heartless went sliding back across the floor and landed weakly on the ground. With the heartless out of commission for the moment, Riku took his blade and cut the creature right in half, turning it into dust. As the boy put his sword away, the elevator began to move again and rose quickly to the top floor.

"Top floor," Riku whispered to himself. "And I have a feeling it's not going to be the luggage department."

As the elevator came to a halt, the caged doors opened, allowing Riku to exit it. He walked towards the edge of the small hallway where he noticed another golden shaped door. However, unlike the other ones, Riku felt a chill coming from it. He could feel a familiar presence beyond the door, something that he despised so much. It also smelled kind of rotten like body and odor, causing the boy to cover his nose in disgust.

"Ew!" Riku groaned in disgust. "Whoever's behind there really needs a bath."

Riku slowly took a deep breath as he pulled his card out. His heart was beating rapidly from this nervous feeling of meeting someone from his past beyond the door. He recognized the scent, but wasn't too sure if it really was who he thought it was. Holding the card up, the boy shielded his eyes as a bright light flashed, causing the door to open. His muscles tightened as he carefully walked through the door, glancing everywhere, staying alert. He arrived in a round room which the walls were green and bricks.

The floor below him had a light blue color to it, and a bright light shined down on the room. Riku took his sword out to feel a bit more comfortable. He felt another presence in the room. It felt so close, that he could have sworn it was right on his shoulders, breathing slowly down the back of his neck with a hard breath. He noticed that everything started to get dark around him like the night sky. Something was wrong though; only he was covered in the darkness. Other parts of the area was still light.

Looking up, he gasped in surprise at what he was. It was a half oval floating vehicle with a clown face on the front of it with a green propeller on its underside. It was floating right above Riku, who angrily looked up at it. From out of the top came a giant fireball. Riku quickly leaped back and landed in the middle of the hall, standing face to face with the one who brought him here in the first place as a familiar site appeared out of the top of the strange vehicle. The one who tempted him with the darkness. The king of all koopas and arch enemy of the legendary hero Mario, Bowser.

The koopa gave a sinister grin at the boy, displaying his sharp teeth. He had green skin all around his head area that went from the top to the bottom of his eyes. His nose, mouth, and underbelly had a tan like color, with his chest more bumpy, scaly, and light yellow. He had red eyebrows, and short red hair that stood up. On each side of his head were two yellow horns that stood out. Like a turtle, he wore a giant green shell with spikes all over it. On his arms were two dog collar like chains with spikes.

Riku glared evilly, but also with surprise at the king of all koopas. He thought that Bowser was disposed of by Sora and his friends. The monster's evil red eyes still haunted him to this day. Just seeing this lowlife again wanted to make the boy punch him right in the face. The king of koopas started laughing manically.

"Well, well, well," Bowser laughed. "What do we have here? It looks like a traitor to me." Riku growled softly. "Aw, what? No flowers? No hello? That's so rotten of you...and I like that."

"Enough of your jokes, you fat hunk of cellulite!" Riku snarled.

"Sucking up won't change a thing, kid," Bowser grinned jokingly. "It's bad enough you betrayed me for that brat with the key and his doofus pals." He then chuckled. "But I'd knew you'd have the heart to return and see me."

"Like I care!" snapped Riku. "Besides, you're dead! How can you still be alive?"

Bowser started laughing manically, "Wow! I bet you got an F in school for paying attention because you stink at it."

"Look who's talking," scoffed Riku. "You can't even get the job done without Kammy Koop helping you. Do you how many times she had to correct your spelling errors when you were writing your take over all the worlds speech? You couldn't even spell the word 'the' right."

Bowser growled angrily, "Shut up! Can I help it if I flunked out of third grade? So what if couldn't get the answer to what color was General Grants' white stallion." Riku glared at Bowser in confusion. "Anyways, I'm just another figment of your memory."

"Out of all the people I could run into it had to be you." Riku said harshly.

"Don't expect to see anyone else," Bowser said. "Because your heart stepped deep into the darkness, you can only see memories of those with the same darkness. And I'm not exactly mister sun shine ya know."

Riku's eyes widened in surprise. It couldn't be. The only people he could see were those were aligned in the darkness with him. He wouldn't see his friends, only people like Bowser, Ganondorf, Dr. Eggman, and others. If that was the case, there was one person he hoped he didn't run into.

"It...can't...be..." Riku said softly.

"Hey, it's not that bad, man," Bowser chuckled. "I can make a great host, and you won't feel alone. I've always wanted another koopa kid, except not as bratty or whiney like my other seven, who were locked away. Even I show a little sympathy for a brat who betrayed the light, his home, everything, including the dude who gave you everything you could possibly wanted."

Riku angrily turned away from Bowser, not wanting to even look at the beast anymore.

"Count your blessings, Riku," Bowser continued. "If that darkness wasn't getting a free ride in your heart, you'd be all alone."

"Alone..." Riku whispered. He then spoke out loud. "That would sound pretty good right now."

"Yeah, right," Bowser said. "Did you forget who gave you the darkness in the first place? You were practically begging for it. You need me, kid! Who else but moi can give you the darkness that you so longed for? Not Santa Clause, or the tooth fairy. Not even Chuck Norris, and his tears can cure every sickness out there...just a shame he never cries."

"I'll admit..." Riku began. "There was a time when I needed you. A time when I even wanted you around me, and because of that I surrendered my heart to the darkness." He then turned back to the koopa king with a confident glare in his eyes. "But never again. You and your darkness don't have anything to offer me. You can take it and shove it up that clown cart of yours. When I wielded its power...all I did was lose myself. I was no longer the person I once was. I emptied myself! But now I'm done with the darkness."

"You can never escape it, Riku," Bowser grunted. "It still resides in your heart, and as long as it exists, you'll only be able to see people like me."

Riku lightly chuckled with his arms cross, "If that's the case, then I'll just have to eliminate all those people from the dark...including you!"

Bowser just laughed again, "Boy are you dumb! Don't you know that you're one of them, too? So, you're going to take yourself out last then?"

Riku uncrossed his arms and looked back up, "If that's the case; yes. I've never believed in the word weakness. That's why I turned to the darkness, because I was weak. I hated that weakness, and wanted to become stronger. Even after Sora defeated me, I just wanted more power. I guess I am my own enemy then." He then held his sword in his right hand over his head. "What's worse is I have to see people like you embrace the darkness! Enough talk, Bowser! I'll end it all right here!"

Bowser grinned evilly, "So, you're saying you hate the darkness enough to fight it? Well, you must be feeling a lot of agony right now. If you wish to take yourself out then let me the one to end your pain...ending it with the power of darkness, a weapon of destruction."

Bowser held out a small brown wooden stick with a yellow star on top of it. The star on top began to glow a bright yellow color.

"Star Rod!" Bowser cried. "Give me some of your power!"

The Star Rod began to glow white all around, until it was fully engulfed in the light. It then transformed into a giant yellow sword, with the handle part in shaped like a star and the blade was pointed straight out. Riku gripped the handles of his blade and watched as Bowser commanded his clown kart to fly right at Riku. As it got close, Riku quickly dove out of the way, causing the koopa kart to miss. Bowser quickly turned around to face Riku, who leaped into the air at Bowser.

Their blades clashed with each other with a loud clang sound. Riku began to fell, but grabbed onto the edge of the kart and continued to clash back and forth with Bowser. The koopa kart began flying around the room, trying to knock Riku off. Bowser vertically slashed at Riku who swung his body left to dodge the attack. Riku gave a thrust, but Bowser brought his blade down on Riku's, trapping the boy.

"Gotcha now!" Bowser smirked.

"Think again!" Riku said.

Riku slid the blade off and leaped off of the kart, jumping onto the wall, and charging back again. Riku and Bowser clashed again, and both went back from the clash, then forth again, repeating this pattern fast and quickly. As they did this, Riku began to leap back and forth from the ceiling. Going all the way from the left side to the right side. Riku landed on the ground again and leaped towards Bowser, with the creature shooting fire out of his mouth. Riku embraced himself as the attack hit him, sending him crashing into the ground.

Riku was able to recover from his attack quite quickly and kicked his feet up and stood back up. Bowser pressed a button and two giant cannons appeared on the clown kart. It fired out two giant bullets with eyes and evil grins on them. Riku ran at the bullets, holding his sword out. He slashed at the first bullet, cutting it in half. Riku then leaped onto the second bullet and leaped off it, causing an explosion to occur from the impact, which made Riku go flying more towards Bowser.

The koopa king moved right and fired two more at him. Riku slashed at the first one again and then landed on the second one, once again pushing off of it. Bowser moved left and Riku quickly landed on the wall and ran on it. Riku caught up with Bowser and ran along side of the kart. Bowser angrily turned the cannons towards Riku and fired rapid bullets at him. Riku struck everyone that came at him, causing them to explode. This continued for a few seconds as Riku ran on the wall, striking giant bullets that came at him rapid fire from Bowser, who floated along the side of the wall.

Finally, Bowser fired two more and Riku quickly dove out of the way, landing on another wall. He then leaped forward and tried to kick the clown kart, but Bowser's huge claw grabbed his leg. He then spun Riku around in the air and hardly threw him against a wall, banging his back into it. The impact was so hard, that cracks appeared everywhere on the wall. Riku slid down and landed on the ground. The boy sat up and rubbed the hard pain from his back.

Looking up, he saw two more bullets come at him. He jumped over the bullets and clashed with Bowser's blade again. Falling backwards, Riku fell off the clown kart, but quickly hugged it to get back on and hold on for life.

"Hey, I just had that buffed!" Bowser snarled. "Get off!"

The koopa kart began to move around violently, trying to knock Riku off, but the boy held on with all his might. Bowser gritted his teeth in anger as the boy bear hugged the clown kart tightly. Bowser then flew right towards a wall, going to try and ram the boy into the wall. When Bowser was only a few seconds away, Riku quickly let go, dropping to the ground. Bowser screamed as he ran right into the wall.

His body and the entire kart was pressed against the wall. It was so far in that a mark was left in the wall because of it. Riku could hear Bowser groaning weakly from the damage. Riku started laughing from seeing Bowser like that.

"Man," Riku laughed. "Why was he in charge again? He's so gullible! Even King Dedede could have done better than him."

"I heard that," Bowser said with a muffled voice. "No one makes a fool out of me."

"Mr. Mario made a fool out of you more than a hundred times," Riku said. "Sora made a fool out of you. Trust me, if there was a bigger fool than you, you'd have an high I.Q."

"Shut up!" Bowser roared.

The clown kart flew backwards, taking Bowser with it who had debris and chunks of the wall on him. He shook his head, getting it off and angrily flew at Riku again. The boy held his sword with both hands, ready for the attack. Bowser pressed a button, which caused a bigger cannon to appear right above Bowser. Riku's eyes widened in surprise upon seeing that.

"Okay, this is not good..." Riku gulped.

"Now, let's see you dodge this!" Bowser roared.

The cannon fired another bullet that looked like the other bullets, but was practically double the size of the normal ones. He began to sweat nervously as the bullet came closer and closer. A part of Riku was telling him to run, while another part was telling him to fight it. As it got closer, he didn't know what to do. At that moment, Riku could think of only one thing. Riku placed his blade horizontally up, gripping the handle and placing his palms at the edge of the blade.

The cannon finally hit Riku's sword, pushing hardly on Riku. The boy slowly felt himself sliding backwards to the wall from the great strength. Bowser started laughing manically as Riku's back pressed against a wall, still pushing against the giant bullet.

"Now who's the big fool?" laughed Bowser.

"That...would...be...YOU!" Riku struggled.

Riku used every ounce of his strength and finally pushed the bullet back towards the clown kart. Bowser screamed a high pitched scream and quickly abandon the kart just in time. The bullet hit the clown kart, causing a massive explosion to occur. Riku and Bowser were both sent flying to each opposite side of the room from the explosion. Riku sat up as he watched the explosion finish, causing dust and particles to fly at him. Riku quickly shielded himself from the force. Soon enough, the explosion subsided, with the clown kart completely obliterated from sight.

Bowse growled angrily at Riku, "You brat! I had five more payments on that!"

"Ha!" Riku snickered. "But you're not so tough now without your entertaining assistant."

"It's no matter!" Bowser said, holding his sword out. "You're going down! At this point, maybe you don't deserve the darkness because you are too weak."

"Hm, you may say I'm weak, but you happen to lack something yourself," Riku pointed out. "Something you had when you were using that stupid clown kart."

"Satellite Radio?" Bowser asked in confusion.

"Um, that's not what I was implying," Riku said scratching his head. "Maybe I'll just show you!"

Riku ran at Bowser, holding the handle with both hands, gripping them tightly. Bowser waited as Riku charged at him, holding his sword with only one hand. Soon, Riku brought his blade down on the koopa king who horizontally blocked the attack. Riku spun around and tried an upper attack, but Bowser blocked it. He then went lower and Bowser blocked it again. Bowser slashed at Riku, who moved his head back to dodge.

The two clashed with each other again, their blades clanging from the collision of the hard metal. Releasing their hold, Bowser gave a thrust at Riku's head who moved it left. Riku then gave a thrust at Bowser's chest, and he too dodged it. Bowser swatted at Riku again, but this time he jumped over the attack. As he went over, he tried to swat at Bowser vertically, but the king of koopas put his sword up to block it.

As Riku landed behind, he stood up and ran all the way over to the wall. Bowser gave chase after him, but since he was bigger than Riku, he couldn't run as fast. Riku quickly got to the wall and ran up it. Upon reaching the top, he kicked off the wall and sent a fast flying kick at Bowser. Like lightning, Riku's big foot kicked Bowser right in the jaw. The koopa felt his jaw tingle and felt the pain. The force sent Bowser sliding across the room, with his face ramming into the wall.

"You're too slow," Riku pointed out as he landed. "All that bulk has dramatically decreased your speed. That means my speed has an advantage over your power. Plus, Sora taught me an interesting weakness of your's."

Riku ran over to Bowser and grabbed his tail using both hands. He then began to lift Bowser into the air, using every ounce of his strength. Bowser screamed in fear as Riku spun him faster and faster. At that point, from all the motion Bowser's face began to turn green. He felt the liquid in his stomach churn roughly. Riku finally released the grip on Bowser and sent him flying across the room again.

Riku hummed one of the songs from the circus, the balancing act as Bowser went screaming across the room and crashed into another wall. Bowser stood up, completely dizzy. He stumbled around the area, waving his sword in random areas. His vision was completely blurry because of hard hits to the head and spinning around like a top.

"Hey...where did you go?" he said dizzily. "I know you're here. Surrender to the king of all koopas." He then looked over at Riku who was smirking. "Hey, how come there are five of you?"

Riku quickly ran at Bowser and knocked the sword out of his claws. The boy then slashed at Bowser's stomach rapidly, landing hard blows. Bowser roared in pain as it felt like a thousand needles who being injected into his body. Riku continued to slash away at Bowser until his sword began glowing a red and blue color. He then brought one final slash down on him, knocking the koopa back again.

Bowser slid across the floor, extremely damaged and in loads of pain. As he finally stopped, he roared in pain from every single slash Riku delivered. He then looked over to see his sword had reverted back into the Star Rod. Using the last of his strength, he tried to reach for it, but Riku got there first and stepped on it, breaking it in two. Bowser roared in defeat as he couldn't do anymore. He couldn't lift a finger anymore and his body completely collapsed on the floor. A dark portal appeared around the koopa king, beginning to engulf him.

Riku looked on, even showing a little pity, "Pitiful creature. It's sad that even a memory has to die again. However, I hope I don't have to meet with you again anytime soon, real or not."

With his last breath, the king of koopas looked up at the boy as the dark waves began to cover him.

"Riku..." he said weakly. "Never forget that the darkness is your true weapon."

"It is not!" Riku snapped at Bowser. "I rejected it! I rejected it!"

Soon, Bowser disappeared into the dark portal, never to be seen again. Riku sat down for a moment to catch his breath. He looked up at the sky to see a light shine through the room. How he wished he could truly be a part of light. He still didn't I understand why people keep saying darkness still resided. He rejected the darkness, didn't he? There were so many questions left to be answered. Are Sora and Kairi alright? Why did he come to this castle? Why was he even brought back? And who was trying to talk with him?

Riku stood up, stretching his muscles out from the big fight. As he stretched out, a round orb of light appeared right in front of him. The boy looked at it confusion, wondering what it meant. It then got bigger and bigger, practically towering over Riku.

"Riku," called a voice. "You have confronted a part of your past. The time has come to discover more truths."

"You again?" Riku groaned. "Look, I don't need you announcing this right off the bat. Frankly, I don't need your help, voice. I'll discover these truths and confront my past."

"Hm, you truly are one of a kind," the voice laughed. "You work alone?"

"I'm the only one who can make up for what I've done in the past," Riku responded. "So, only I must do this."

"Then proceed my boy," the voice said. "Move on towards your destiny."

Riku walked towards the portal, but stopped for a moment and glanced over his shoulder to see Hallow Bastion once more. His once temporary home was one place he wanted to forget about. It was simply the place where all of his evil was released, and he wanted to forget about this place for the rest of his life. It was time to start anew, and begin a new journey to make up for everything he's done. He slowly walked through the portal and left his first memory world.

Moments later he arrived back in the strange white room of Castle Oblivion. He looked around the white hallways of the strange castle, and the strange designs he saw on the walls.

"What kind of castle am I in anyways?" Riku wondered to himself as he walked through the halls.

Deciding not to worry about that now, he was still focused on his struggle against the darkness. Many were trying to tempt him again into accepting darkness, but Riku refused it. But for some strange reason, Riku felt a little bit like he was doing was wrong. Shrugging it aside, he moved towards the stairs until he heard a voice. However, unlike the previous voice that guided him, this one had a more menacing sound to it.

"Why do you shun the dark?" a different voice asked.

Riku moaned in annoyance, "Oh, come on! Didn't you hear one word I said to Bowser?"

"Yes, but darkness is your weapon," the voice responded. "I need you to accept the darkness."

"What do you care?" Riku asked spitefully.

At that point, Riku knew he was talking to someone else. That voice sounded so familiar, his heart beat started to rise. The way this voice rambled about darkness gave Riku even more suspicion.

"Stop resisting and accept the darkness," the voice continued. "You must...in order to serve me again."

All of a sudden, a man appeared right in front of the teen. The man wore a dark and gray trench coat, with white gloves on. He wore black pants with pointy black boots. His white long hair extended down his back and he had a heartless symbol on his chest. Riku stood his position upon seeing the man.

"Ansem...just as I suspected." Riku said calmly.

Ansem crossed his arms, "It appears you don't seem surprised to see me."

"You're the only guy I know that says darkness in about every sentence," Riku replied with a light chuckled. "You were always chatty about it. I just had this feeling you were alive. Even after getting your butt kicked by Sora four times, you still don't know what the word die means."

"You can never get rid of me," Ansem said with an evil glare in his eyes. "I will live on in the darkness. As long as there is darkness, I will hide in the grottos of them, waiting to escape from its grip on me."

"So, let me guess why you're here," Riku said. "You want to pull me back into the darkness and play puppet master again, right?"

Ansem laughed, "Clever boy. You don't miss a thing, do you? Yes, it was fate, Riku. You were meant to serve me for the rest of your life." He then reached his hand out to Riku. "So, surrender again and..."

Riku jumped back in defense and drew his sword.

"You're insane!" Riku cried in defense. "There's not going to be an again! You may have tricked me once, but I won't let the same thing go unchecked twice!"

Riku charged at Ansem at full speed, holding his sword with both hands. He brought his blade down on the man, but Ansem used the palms of his gloved hands to catch each side of the sword. Riku's eyes widened in shock as Ansem stood their with an evil smile. Riku tried to released his sword, but Ansem's grip was too strong.

"Stupid boy!" Ansem laughed. "Did you believe that you could harm me?"

All of a sudden, a giant dark creature that floated in the air with no legs appeared out of nowhere and punched Riku in the chest, knocking him across the room. Ansem held Riku's sword in his right hand and snapped his finger, commanding the creature to fly across the room and embrace Riku in a tight bear hug. The creature pulled the boy over to the man, who held up the blade.

Riku struggled to break free, but the grip was too tight. The heartless began to squeeze the life out of him like a tomato being squeezed in a hand. Riku could feel his bones being crushed by the strong heartless, causing him to scream in pain.

Ansem laughed even more, "How I delight in watching you suffer. A weakling like you couldn't even defeat Sora, and you had the power of darkness on your side."

"Well...excuse me...for being weak," Riku groaned while he struggled. "At least Sora didn't beat me over four times!"

Ansem became furious upon hearing that.

"Silence!" Ansem snapped. "You've spoken long enough." He then pointed the souleater right at Riku's chest. "You need the darkness! You can't live or breath without it! Submit! Bow to the darkness, and bow to me!"

"Not..a..chance," Riku strained. He then noticed Ansem pointing his sword at him. "Go ahead, do it! I'd rather die than serve you again!"

Ansem made an evil grin, "Yes, that would sound enjoyable to me to end your life, but I wasn't born yesterday like that peanut brained koopa. If I kill you, then my plans will be worthless. However, we have other ways of making you submit to the darkness."

Riku continued to struggle with all his might, trying to release the grip from the monster's arms. Riku panted, his muscles began to ache so much, and sweat poured down his forehead. Finally, Riku became too exhausted to try and weakly fell back into its arms.

"Now, my guardian," Ansem commanded his heartless. "Squeeze the life out of him. Boy, the only way out is to accept darkness, because it's the only thing that can help you know."

The guardian began to squeeze the life out of Riku, causing him to scream in pain. Ansem just stood their, laughing manically.

"Squeeze him!" Ansem shouted. "Squeeze the life out of him like mozzarella cheese."

At that moment, a bright light appeared right above them, causing everyone to look up. The next voice Riku heard was completely different from the other dark voices. This one was very cheerful and had an heavy Italian accent.

"Hoo-hoo!" laughed the voice. "Did-a-someone say mozzarella?"

All of a sudden, a small ball of light appeared in front of the two.

"You are-a-wrong!" the voice shouted bravely. "The light-a-will protect him!"

Riku's eyes widened in surprise, "That voice...can it be?"

All of a sudden, the light created a blinding flash that caused Ansem and his guardian to shield their eyes from the overwhelming light. This also allowed Riku to escape the heartless and grab his sword from Ansem.

"The light!" Ansem hissed. "I can't stand the light!"

Riku quickly ran at Ansem and slashed him in the chest, sending him crashing into a wall. The heartless flew over to rejoin his master and help him back up. Riku turned back to the glowing orb of light, and looked at it with excitement. He was hoping the voice belonged to who he thought it was.

"Mr. Mario?" Riku asked. "Is that really you?"

"Yep!" Mario responded cheerfully. "That's-a-right, it's-a-me, Mario!"

Riku sighed with relief. Finally, someone he knew that could be trusted.

"Man, you don't know how happy I am to hear your voice!" Riku said with excitement.

"Thank you very much," Mario chuckle. "It's-a-my pleasure to be here, talkin' with you. The Mario always has-a-your back, so you never alone." There was then a serious tone in his voice. "Now-a-Riku, listen carefully."

"Yes, sir!" Riku nodded with a smile.

"No matter what-a-happens, the light will-a-never give up on you." Mario said. "Even if you're in-a-the most deepest of-a-darkness, a light will-a-always shine brightly. But the light-a-can't-a-help you unless you believe in it. That's-a-all it-a-takes. Believe in-a-yourself and the light will-a-help you. Use it to-a- your advantage."

"I will!" Riku nodded to the orb of light. He turned back to Ansem with a confident look in his eyes. "Hear that, Ansem? I'm not losing to the darkness today! The light's got my back in this fight!"

Ansem growled angrily at Riku, "Insolent brat! You think some feeble light can save you from darkness I command? Fool!"

Ansem angrily flew at Riku, with his heartless flying right behind him. Riku turned to see the orb of light turned into a friend card, with the same color like the Luigi and Yoshi cards. Riku quickly grabbed the card, noticing it had a picture of a man with chubby cheeks, a big nose, a black moustache, had brown hair, and wore a red cap with a white circle in the front part. In the circle was the letter M with a red color.

"It's a card of Mr. Mario!" Riku gasped in surprise. "What am I suppose to do with it?"

"Fool!" Ansem shouted. "A feeble card can't save you from me! It cannot save you from your true darkness!"

Riku closed his eyes, _"I need to believe."_

Ansem was about to attack when Riku held the card, causing a bright light to flash. The card got engulfed by the light, and as the light dimmed, Mario appeared right in front of Riku. Mario stood their with a brave look in his eyes, watching Ansem fly back and then charged forth again. Unlike his brother Luigi, Mario was shorter and had a much more plump stomach. However, instead of wearing his trademark overalls, he wore a strange different set of clothing, while still wearing his trademark hat. His clothes had a bit of resemblance to Sora's clothes, but different. He wore a short sleeved light coat, with the sleeves black and rest of the coat red. Inside his coat he wore a black shirt. The zip on his zipper was at the top of the coat, but strangely, the whole zipper wasn't zipped up at all.

Also on each side of his coat, yellow straps hung down. He also wore blue baggy pants that had zippers on the front, which was zipped up. He also wore two yellow pads on his knees that were buckled on their. He still wore his brown shoes as footwear. Mario held up a small white card and placed it out at Ansem.

"Here, Ansem!" Mario cried. "Here's a taste of-a-pasta power!"

The card lightly flashed, but a powerful force knocked Ansem and his guardian back into the wall. At the same time, a white glow appeared around Riku's body, which felt very soothing on his body. It felt relaxing as he let the light embrace his body. He then felt his wounds heal and his strength return. Riku was surprised about what happened. Mario just appeared and knocked Ansem back with a card.

He looked up to see Mario vanished and Ansem was paralyzed from the blow. He was confused as to how Mario helped and why he wasn't present any more. Deciding not to worry about it now, the boy quickly charged at Ansem and rapidly slashed him, until the guardian knocked Riku back, who quickly caught himself. Ansem angrily flew up and commanded his heartless to fire energy disks at the boy.

Riku quickly dodged left, right, and under the disks. The creature fired energy waves that moved along on the ground. Riku stepped right, dodging the first, the left again, dodging the second, and then slashed away at the third aside. Ansem growled again and flew at Riku. He threw a punch, but the boy blocked it with the side of his sword. Ansem then gave a kick, but Riku blocked it again. He kept blocking Ansem's punches and kicks, until Riku finally ducked under an attack and stabbed his sword into the ground.

He then pushed up on it and leaped into the air, delivering a flying kick to Ansem, sending him and the guardian onto the ground. Riku grinned now that he had the advantage. He rested his sword on his shoulder and smirked.

"That all you got, gramps?" Riku chuckled.

Ansem, slightly impressed stood up and brushed himself off. Riku got his sword ready, expecting another long battle like with Bowser, but surprisingly, Ansem snapped his finger and the guardian disappeared back into the darkness. Riku still held his sword out, thinking that it was all a trick.

"It amazes me," Ansem said. "You still are very intent on resisting the dark."

"So, what's it to you?" Riku snapped.

"Simply fighting you will not help draw out my ultimate goal," Ansem explained. "That's why I've decided to end it."

"Because I was winning?" Riku asked.

"Because it is not time yet," Ansem responded. "I must simply wait for you to submit to the darkness. However, my words alone will not help." He then went through his pocket and pulled out a group of cards. "See the truth with your own eyes."

The madman threw cards at Riku, which the boy caught. On the cards had pictures of worlds on them. They were in fact the same exact cards Sora received not too long ago. Riku looked up at Ansem in confusion.

"What are these suppose to be?" Riku asked. "More trading cards? What do you want to do, challenge me to a duel? Sorry, but I don't believe in that heart of the cards thing."

"These are more cards crafted from your memories," Ansem corrected. "Advance through the worlds they beget, and you will come to understand. You will learn why you were destined to have your heart belong in darkness. It is a futile attempt to chase the light, as the dark with draw you back into its clutches. You cannot run!"

"Who's running?" Riku said angrily. "Only cowards run!"

"Hm, you running away from the darkness, that's sounds pretty cowardly to me." Ansem lightly grinned.

"Shut up!" Riku yelled. "I'll enter these stupid worlds! And if I haven't given into the darkness...I win!"

"Very well, I shall leave you to battle through your memories," Ansem nodded. "But before I do, I have a gift for you."

Ansem put his hand out to Riku, and the boy noticed his body began to glow a dark color. His clothing then began to flash black and white, with Riku worryingly looking on as this happened. All of a sudden, Riku's clothing got replaced by a dark jump suit with giant blue boots, dark pants, a white dress like cloth that was around his hips. The top of his dark suit had the heartless symbol on his chest. Riku has wore this suit once before at Hallow Bastion when he faced Sora.

"Wh-what did you do to me?" Riku gasped in surprise.

"Simple," Ansem responded. "I tempted the remaining darkness in your heart, giving you enhanced power and ability. Only the power of rage can release your true power."

"What, you still think I need the darkness?" Riku asked in surprise. "For the hundredth time, I rejected it!"

"Is that so?" Ansem sinisterly. "Well, it's your choice whether you use it or not." He then vanished back into the emptiness of the room. "I'll be waiting, Riku...for you to come to your senses and yield to the darkness!"

Hearing that man speak gave him chills down his spine. How Ansem still persisted in getting Riku to turn to the darkness again. Riku's suit changed back into normal and the boy looked down to notice this. Looking back up, he wondered where Mario was. At that moment, he felt scared, knowing that Ansem could be lurking around any corner. Even fear struck the heart of the calm, cool, collected boy, but he tried not to display it.

He looked up the stairs, knowing that they would lead to his destiny. Taking a deep breath, he made his way up the stairs, ready to confront the tides of his past, hoping to put them to rest. And as he went up the stairs, he made a brave look as his journey through Castle Oblivion began.

A/N: For those of you who are wondering why Bowser didn't fight Riku in his Giga form, then here is why. Throughout the game, Sora and Riku faced the same exact bosses in each world. Now, there will be short dialogue between Riku and each Nintendo villain, but it would seem kind of dull to have Sora and Riku face the exact same form, using the same time of pattern. Since Sora faced both forms of each villain, he will be facing their second form. Each battle Riku faces, he will face the first form since he was never in the same room as their second form. (Though I'm trying to figure out how to work Isle Delfino, Station Square, and Mute City. Another plan is in store for Shy Guy's toy box) And lastly, unlike Sora, Riku will not use cards to fight, except for summoning Mario. I thought it would be better since the residents of the castle aren't fully aware of Riku's presence and don't fully focus on him.


	6. A Link to the Memories Part I

**Chapter IV: A Link to the Memories** **Part I**

Far away, beyond the stars, lied a mystical world filled with princesses, fairies, knights, elves, wizards, and villains. A world where you could meet strange and wondrous creatures. A place where the long fields would stretch for miles and miles, where you could walk for days and nights, lost in the endless fields, wondering which to go. This world was known as Hyrule. An endless field where there were many different routes to take, leading you to many different villages with many strange creatures.

However, this once prosperous world fell into darkness when a evil man named Ganondorf took over the world. Sora and his friends visited this world during their first adventure, where they befriended a young man named Link, who once lived in a forest as a young child. However, the once mighty leader and sage of the forest known as the Great Deku Tree summoned Link to leave his childhood home to save all of Hyrule from destruction. Upon leaving, Link soon learned from the young princess of Hyrule known as Zelda that Ganondorf was planning on ruling this world.

Link journeyed throughout the land of Hyrule, collecting three magical stones that were used to open the door to time, where a mighty sword could defeat the king of evil. Link also used a magical Ocarina which was a family heirloom to the royal family of Hyrule. Upon doing so, Ganondorf took over Hyrule, bringing nothing but pain and suffering to its residents. Releasing the sword caused seven years to go by, turning Link into adult. Now, he set out to seven temples to free seven sages that could help him defeat Ganondorf, while he was also aided by a mysterious man named Sheik.

Upon their arrival, Sora and friends joined forces with Link to help him defeat Ganondorf, while also learning that Sheik was really Princess Zelda in disguise. Together, they sealed the evil man of darkness in the Temple of Time and restored piece to Hyrule. Now, as they battle through their memories, the friends will take on one of their most toughest worlds again. Hyrule's endless field extended around the entire world itself. The sun shined brightly in the sky, pouring its rays down on the healthy vegetation.

Many parts of the worlds had giant mountains that extended over the horizon, making you feel like a small spec of dust just from looking so high into the air. The clear, crisp blue water gently moved down the stream, with the sun's reflection shining on it. While this all looked very beautiful, one place was simply damped and in ruin. That was the Hyrule Marketplace, where the castle of the royal family once stood proudly upon the land. The bridge that led to the marketplace was broken in half and lied destroyed within the purple water on the ground.

Dark clouds hovered over the castle, giving the market place a sense of gloominess. The marketplace has been since abandon with few people who've escaped the evil Gerudo king. A white ball of energy appeared right outside of the entrance to the marketplace, glowing brightly for a moment. Out of the ball popped Sora and the gang, who landed on their feet, except Luigi who landed on his stomach. The four looked up at the creepy site, and Luigi slowly backed away.

"Great," Luigi said nervously. "Why did you pick this world? Couldn't it have been a world with flowers, daisies, and pasta?" He then paused. "Just give me the pasta and I'll be happy."

"Oh, Luigi," Sora chuckled while rolling his eyes. He then turned back to the castle. "Man, what happened to this place?"

Toadsworth looked up at it in question, "I'm not too sure, Master Sora. All I know is that this place has been abandon for quite some while. I think that someone may have destroyed it, as I don't think people would have stopped coming here. It looks like it used to be a good town, and I wouldn't see why people would abandon it just because they didn't like it."

"Quite true," called a cheerful voice. "This place has been taken over by an evil man."

The four turned to where they heard the voice, and who they saw caused them back away in fear. A man with red hair and pointy ears was in front of them. He wore a blue medieval coat, blue leather shirt, pants, and pointy blue boots. He wore a giant brown backpack that had masks hanging on it. But what really made them nervous was the creepy smiling face he had.

"Um, who you?" Yoshi whimpered in fear.

"Greetings friends," he giggled cheerfully. "I am the Happy Mask Shop owner. I travel throughout Hyrule to sell some of the most unique and interesting masks of all time. Interested?"

"Actually, do you have a wolf man mask?" Luigi asked. "I could use to cover up that scary face of yo..."

At that moment, Sora quickly dove in and covered Luigi's mouth, causing the man to scream in the boy's hand with a muffle.

Sora turned to the man, while nervously chuckling, "Um, we're not interested. Can you tell us something about this place?"

"Yes, this was once home to the rulers of Hyrule, the king and queen," explained the man. "And their young daughter known as Zelda. But, their royal viser known as Ganondorf gained ultimate power and took over this world."

"So, this madman has gained tyranny over this world," Toadsworth gasped in shock. "That's terrible!"

"I'm guessing this guy lives in there," assumed Sora as he pointed towards the marketplace. "Then we should go and stop him!"

"Why us?" Luigi asked in shock as he finally released Sora's grip. "Can't we goto some other town?"

"I believe you should listen to your friend," said the Happy Mask salesmen. "While I commend you on your bravery in trying to help us, Ganondorf is way too powerful to be dealt with. Believe me, going into the marketplace is extremely dangerous."

"I know you're trying to help, but we deal with danger all the time," Sora said bravely, not heeding the man's warning. "We can handle this guy! We'll do anything to help!"

"Master Sora, are you sure you wish to do this?" Toadsworth asked in concern.

"Come on, guys," Sora begged. "It's not everyday we can try and knock a tyrant out of power. We'd be hero's if we did so."

"Don't be a hero," said the Happy Mask salesmen, growing a little angry. "I warn you; you enter his lair and you won't see the light of day again."

"But..." Sora began.

All of a sudden, the man became angry with the most scariest looking face that the four ever did see.

"I SAID, DO NOT GO IN THERE!!!" the man shouted angrily.

Luigi and Yoshi screamed in fear and jumped into Sora's arm, who got startled by this. Sora lost his balance from carrying the two and they all fell into the water. Toadsworth quickly ran over to aid his friends who stuck their heads out of the water. Sora shook his head to get the water out of his spiky brown hair. Luigi took his cap off and squeezed it dry. Yoshi was shocked the most and put his fingers in his ears and closed his eyes.

"Think of happy place!" Yoshi said. "Think of happy place!"

"Scary spaghetti!" Luigi exclaimed. "After seeing that face, I don't think I'll be able to sleep for a week!"

"Agree with you there, man," Sora nodded in agreement. "I haven't seen anything that scary since they made a sequel to the Secret of NIMH." Sora shivered. "Ew! I hate musical numbers!"

"I could break into song about how scary that guy's face is." Luigi offered.

Sora lightly chuckled, "That's okay."

Sora and the others were able to get out of the water and back onto the dry grass, where they saw the man put on a happy face again, and lightly chortled. Yoshi coward behind Sora, not wanting to see that face again.

"Sorry, gentlemen," apologized the man. "I didn't mean to startle you. A lot of people say I startle them when they first see me. I wonder why though."

"I could get a mirror and give you a hint." Luigi offered.

Sora shut Luigi up by elbowing him in the shoulder.

"Well, sir, if you think that it's too dangerous for a mushroom, man, boy, and dinosaur, then we'll press on," Toadsworth said calmly. "Thank you for the warning, sir. It's nice to see people who care."

"Yes, you four sound like nice boys," the man replied with a happy laugh. "I wouldn't want to see you get hurt."

"How about scaring Yoshi half to death?" muttered Yoshi under his breath. "How about caring about that?"

Toadsworth then turned to Sora with a smile, "Come along boys."

"But Toadsworth..." Sora began to argue.

Luigi then hugged Toadsworth, "Man, you do not know how happy I am to hear you say that."

"Master Luigi, please do cease that at once!" Toadsworth said in discomfort.

Luigi pulled away and the four left the marketplace, heading towards the other side of the field. The man waved them off and began to leave himself. As they got over there, Sora turned to Toadsworth in disappointment. He really wanted to help save the world from this madman.

"Toadsworth, why did you say that?" Sora said upset. "I really wanted to help!"

"Calm down, Master Sora," whispered Toadsworth. "That was just a distraction so that he would leave. Now that he's gone, we can enter that marketplace."

Sora's eyes lit up in happiness, while Luigi made a look of fear.

"What?" Luigi yelped. "But...but..."

"Master Luigi, I believe that this is the only way we'll be able to defeat this world," Toadsworth explained. "When ever rather odd event seems to happen, it seems to lead us in the right direction towards completing the world. I believe that if we defeat Ganondorf, we may be able to continue on our path to finding Riku and Master Mario in Castle Oblivion."

"Then let's go!" Sora cheered.

"No way!" Luigi shook his head. "You three go on ahead. I'll catch up with you later."

"Scared again?" assumed Sora. He then shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, suit yourself, Luigi." He then turned to the others. "Come on, guys."

"But is Sora sure that..."

"I'll be fine," Luigi assured Yoshi. "You three go and I'll see you later."

At first, Yoshi and Toadsworth were unsure about leaving Luigi behind, but Sora deep down knew that Luigi would eventually have to follow. Gesturing the others, the three left and headed back to the marketplace. Upon arrival, Toadsworth got on Yoshi's back. Yoshi was still afraid of entering the place because it was very dark and eerie. Sora could sense Yoshi's fear and lightly stroke the dinosaur's head to comfort him.

Yoshi looked up at Sora and smiled, knowing that everything would be okay. Yoshi always felt more safer and braver whenever he was around Sora. The brown haired boy just gave Yoshi that extra confidence because of his enthusiasm and free spirit. Yoshi especially liked it when Sora made his famous smile because that would always cheer him up.

"Don't be afraid, Yoshi," Sora smiled warmly. "I'll be right here with you."

"Thanks, Sora." Yoshi smiled back.

The three made their way into the dark town slowly, but surely as their adventure continued through the next world.

**World Name: Hyrule**

Meanwhile, Luigi was pacing around the field, wondering if the others were doing okay. For once, it seemed like he didn't need to go into a spooky place, but he was still concerned for his friends.

"Mama-mia!" Luigi said worryingly. "I feel good that I don't need to go into a spooky place, but I'm-a-real worried about them. Maybe I should..."

All of a sudden, Luigi looked down to notice a yellow fox looking mask. Picking it up, he looked at in question.

"Hey, where did this mask come from?" Luigi asked in confusion.

All of a sudden, Luigi heard someone humming and turned to see the Happy Mask salesmen walking up to him. Luigi felt his heart rise as he saw him approach, knowing he had to look at that scary face again.

"Aha!" the man cried. "There's my mask! Thank you, young man! I knew I was missing one when I left!"

The man ran over to Luigi and the plumber handed the mask over nervously.

"Um, no problem." Luigi said as he handed over the mask.

"Well, I shall now be on my..." he stopped to notice that the other three were missing. "Say, where are your other friends?" He notice Luigi making a wide nervous smile, with his teeth fully showing. "They didn't go into the town, did they?" Luigi said nothing. The man began to get a little angry. "Did they?"

Luigi began to fumble with his hands, "Well..you...see..it's funny..."

"THEY DID, DIDN'T THEY?" the man shouted.

The man made his angry face again, which scared the living daylights out of Luigi. He quickly ran for the marketplace as fast as he could, with the man in hot pursuit of him. The man threw some of his masks at Luigi, trying to stop him from going leading into the same fate as the others. Luigi was able to jump and dodge most of the masks. Finally, Luigi reached the doorway and jumped across the grass area onto the gateway.

He turned to see the man who stopped on the other side. The man didn't want to set foot in that town of evil. Luigi sighed, knowing the man wouldn't take a step more.

"Ha!" Luigi laughed mockingly. "You didn't get me! And you can't get me know because you won't walk on here! I'm going in there because I'd rather go into a spooky place than see your face! Your face is so frightening that it looks like a truck ran over it!"

All of a sudden, another mask hit Luigi in the face, knocking him down. Instead of staying mad, the Happy Mask Man simply chortled.

"Oh, well," he chortled. "I tried to warn you, but I guess you can get yourself killed. It's okay to be stubborn and not listen. Good luck to you and happy hunting."

The man turned and walked away, merrily skipping through the fields of Hyrule until he vanished from Luigi's site. The plumber gulped upon watching the man leave.

"Wow!" Luigi said in amazement. "That guy is so creepy! This guy defiantly has some emotional issues." He then turned back towards the marketplace and sighed nervously. "The things I do for those three. Well, it was nice knowing me."

Luigi took a deep breath and entered the dark marketplace. Meanwhile, Sora, Yoshi, and Toadsworth have slowly made their way to the entrance of the marketplace, but stopped as soon as they heard Luigi calling to them. The man ran up to the three and Yoshi happily licked Luigi's face, causing the man to groan in disgust.

"Yuck! Yoshi germs!" Luigi groaned. "Stop it!"

Luigi was able to get the dinosaur under control as Sora walked up to him.

"Glad you could join us," Sora welcomed Luigi. "I knew you wouldn't last forever. What made you change your mind?"

"You don't want to know." Luigi replied nervously.

"Well, never mind that," Toadsworth said. "Now that we're all here, let's press on!"

The four made their way into the heart of the marketplace. Surprisingly, no heartless seemed to be in sight at the moment. As they arrived at the center of town, they were surprised by what they saw. The main part of town was all dark and eerie. The small buildings that once stood firm were now old and worn out. Sora noticed a large water fountain in the middle that wasn't shooting out water. The blue and white clothes that once covered fruit stands were all worn out.

The other stores were also completely destroyed as well. The stores were cut in half, with the remaining ruble on the hard grown. The trio slowly made their way into the marketplace and took a right down an alleyway. Yoshi and Luigi held hands as they walked down the alleyway slowly. Once again the buildings and apartments that towered over them were worn out and destroyed. The four felt their hearts beat faster as they wondered if something was going to jump out at them at any given moment. Their eyes darted left and right, leaving no stone unturned.

"Keep your guard up, guys," advised Sora as he held his keyblade out. "We don't know what might happen."

All of a sudden, the four heard someone give out a battle cry.

"Hiya!" the voice cried.

"That's it!" Luigi cried in fear. "I'm out of here!"

"Wait!" Sora cried. "Don't leave! We need you! Besides, would you rather be all by yourself getting out of here or be with us?"

"And you want an answer now?" Luigi panicked.

"Come on!" Yoshi said anxiously. "Sora, Luigi, and Yoshi need to find out what that was!"

"Fine." Luigi groaned.

The gang quickly made their way down to the edge of the hallway and turned the corner. As they arrived at the next corner, they noticed someone was surrounded by a group of heartless. These heartless looked female and wore Arabian type clothing. They also held giant swords in their hands. They were surrounding a young man who wore a green tunic with a brown belt wrapped around his waist. He wore white tights, brown boots and brown gloves. He also had a green elf like hat with blonde short hair underneath it, and had pointy ears with earrings on them.

In his right hand he held a silver colored sword with a blue wings that were right above the handle connected between the blade and handle. In his left hand he held a blue shield with silver outlines around it. On the top of the blue was three yellow triangles, one on top, and two underneath it, side by side. In the middle was a red bird like symbol, and on the bottom was a single yellow triangle, pointing up.

"Sora, that man in trouble!" Yoshi exclaimed. "We help now!"

"Yeah, we won't stand there and let that guy get hurt!" Luigi cried as he got his vacuum ready.

"Come on!" Sora shouted as he ran forward with his keyblade.

Yoshi got Toadsworth off of his back so that he could go hide. As one of the heartless was about to strike the man, Sora quickly leaped in and slashed the heartless aside with his keyblade. The trio formed a circle around the man, protecting him from the other heartless.

"Hey, looks like you could use a hand with these heartless!" Sora said heroically.

The man smiled at Sora, "Hey, thanks. I could use a little help."

At that moment, Sora's friends, including the man disappeared before his eyes. Realizing his friends have turned into cards again, he had to fight alone. The heartless clashed their blades with Sora, with all of them pushing their weight on the boy. They all ran at full force, pushing him back into a wall. Sora struggled as hard as he could, and using all of his strength, he pushed the heartless back. One clashed with Sora, and the boy jumped over another attack of another one.

As he did so, he kicked another one that leaped at him and jumped back onto the wall. Leaping back down, he vertically brought the blade down on the heartless and cut it in half. Sora blocked the blade of another one that came from the right, and ducked under one that came from the left. He quickly spun around to clash with the other one as it quickly brought its blade down on him. The one he turned away gave a thrust, and sensing it coming, Sora jerked his hip left, just dodging. Sora quickly leaped into the air with the two other heartless on his tail. In the air, he clashed and dodged with both heartless, quickly moving the keyblade left and right.

As he tried to bring it down again, another heartless attacked with a higher card, knocking the boy back into a wall. Sora spun back and kicked against the wall, countering with two kicks to each heartless. Sora landed on the ground and clashed with two more heartless. Sora leaped back and clashed with another one that appeared on his right. Another one attacked from above, and noticing it, Sora spun out of the way, causing the heartless to kill the other heartless he clashed with.

Leaping back, more heartless came at him, which the boy slashed through them, piece by piece. During the fight he ran out of cards again and had to dodge attacks as he reshuffled his deck. This was getting frustrating, he thought. At last, all of his cards have returned to him, giving the boy the chance to attack again. Deciding to end it, Sora used three cards, except he used three different numbers, creating a new move which caused his keyblade to spark electricity which made light crackling noises. Sora felt the keyblade pull his hand up into the air. The moment it got over the boy's head, it flew right back down, hitting the ground, creating a mustard brown energy shield around the boy.

The impact knocked all of the heartless aside, sending them crashing into a wall. The heartless appeared to be beat as they vanished from site. Sora wiped his forehead in relief, knowing that the battle was over. All of a sudden, the others reappeared next beside Sora, with all of them landing on their feet. The man in green scratched his head in confusion.

"Um, what just happen?" the man asked Sora.

"It's a long story," Sora responded. "But at least the heartless are gone!"

"Um, don't count on it, kid!" Luigi screamed in fear. "Look!"

All of a sudden, more heartless emerged from the sky and landed on the ground. Sora gritted his teeth in anger as he held the keyblade firmly in his hand. Yoshi ran behind Luigi fearfully.

"Man, there's just no end!" Sora growled.

"We doomed!" Yoshi panicked.

"Not yet we're not!" the man cried bravely. He then looked up at the sky. "Navi, I need a weakness on these guys!"

The trio oddly looked at each other, wondering what he was talking about. At first, Luigi thought he was completely insane. Being a young child, Yoshi thought differently.

"Ooh, elf man have imaginary friend!" Yoshi said.

Luigi rolled his eyes, "Kid, there's no such thing as imaginary friend!"

"But...what about the one's on Foster's?" Yoshi asked in concern.

"Yoshi, most of the stuff on T.V. is fake," the plumber explained. "It's just there for show."

Tears began to form in Yoshi's eyes. He always believed that things on T.V. was real, but now hearing that from Luigi, he felt heartbroken.

"Yoshi's life a big lie!" Yoshi cried.

Sora comfortably stroked Yoshi's head and rolled his eyes, "Nice going, Luigi. Way to ruin a childhood fantasy."

"What?" Luigi exclaimed. "He'd have to learn it eventually!"

"I'm coming, Link!" called a small female voice.

The trio stopped what they were doing and turned to notice a small yellow energy ball with small wings flying over to the man quickly. The energy ball flew next to the man and turned to him.

"Link, you called for a weakness?" the energy ball asked.

"Yeah, find a weakness on these guys, Navi!" Link instructed.

"One weakness coming right up!" Navi said.

The energy ball flew around one of the heartless and began to observe it carefully while dodging its attacks. It didn't take long for Navi to discover the weakness, so she returned back to Link and flew up and down.

"These creatures can be destroyed easily by a powerful magic attack!" explained the fairy.

"Then I have just the thing," Link said as he got his sword into position. He then turned to Sora's group. "Stand back!"

The trio quickly leaped far back from Link as he bent down a little bit, firmly holding his sword in his right hand. Energy began to charge all around the blade, displaying an light orange color, which turned into a dark blue, and then a dark green. When it reached green, Link spun around, releasing a giant wave of green energy that obliterated the heartless in front of him. Sora and his friends jumped onto the ground to avoid the energy which flew right over their heads. Sora could feel the energy from the attack as he it passed over. The heat was intense, he thought. Soon enough the energy subsided, leaving everything calm and quiet.

The four stood back up, left speechless by what they just witness. Link took his sword and rested it on his sheath, which was on his back. He then walked over to the four with a smile, who still had dropped mouths.

"Wow!" Yoshi said in amazement.

"That...was...cool!" Sora said awestricken.

"I'm just glad you guys didn't get hit by the blast," Link said. He then made a curious look at them "Never seen you four before. You new around here?"

"To a certain degree," Sora responded with a light chuckle. "We're here because of some tyrant called Ganondorf has taken over this place."

"Yeah," Link responded. "Seven years ago, Ganondorf took over Hyrule, enslaving a majority of the people, and torturing lives out there." He sadly put his hands in his pockets. "I should be the one to blame for all this though."

"Don't say that, Link?" Navi explained warmly. "You were a young boy. You didn't know."

"I know, but now Zelda is gone!" Link responded sadly. "I should have never pulled the Master Sword out of the Temple of Time. I hurt too many lives and most of all, lost Zelda."

"Don't beat yourself up, man," Sora said encouragingly. "It's not like you meant to cause harm. We all have caused mistakes in the past, and most mistakes are undoable."

Link smiled at Sora, "Well, guess you're right about that...what's your name?"

"I'm Sora, and these are my friends Luigi, Yoshi, and Toadsworth." Sora introduced.

"My name is Link." Link said as he shook the boy's hand.

"As in the missing link?" Yoshi asked dumbfounded. "Or the weakest link?"

"Huh?" Link asked in confusion.

"Um...never mind him," Sora chuckled while rubbing his head. "So, I guess you're here to take care of Ganondorf."

"Yes, and I'm not alone," Link replied. "Growing up in the forest as a child we each have our own fairies to guide us. Our once leader, the Great Deku tree gave me a fairy who would guide me throughout my quest."

"That would be me," said Navi as she flew around Sora. "My name is Navi. I provide tips to help Link in his journeys. He can be such a lazy boy at times, so without me he'd be lost."

She noticed the man frowning at her. Luigi put his arm around Sora happily.

"You and I have a lot in common sister." Luigi said happily. He then noticed Sora giving him a dirty look. "Only kidding."

"I'm joking, Link." Navi giggled. "That's what I used to think about you when I first met you, but you've grown into quite a brave young man."

Link smiled and rubbed the back of his head. He then made a serious look.

"Right now though," Link said seriously. "I need to head to the Temple of Time. It's located at the edge of town." He then sighed. "But those creatures, the ones you call heartless are really giving me a hard time."

"We've faced zombies, dragons, fire bats, powerful knights in shinny armor, werewolves, and other powerful creatures...but these things are really not like others," Navi said worryingly. "Even Link has a hard time defeating them all, and we need to make haste."

Yoshi then got an idea and turned to the keyblade master, "Sora, since we also after Ganondorf, we go with Link to temple, yes?"

"Good idea," Sora nodded in agreement. "Since we're all traveling the same path, we should go together."

"Hey, thanks!" Link said happily with appreciation. "With you guys by my side, we'll be able to defeat Ganondorf without a problem. But first...I need to get to the temple."

"Okay, let's-a-go!" Luigi cheered.

The six began to make their way into the heart of the world, watching each other's backs for danger. Sora arrived at the door ahead of him and used one of the cards he just received to open the door. Sora arrived in another part of the alleyway, only to notice that he was once again fighting by himself. It seems that Link also became mercy of the cards, and can now only be summoned for a short time. Moving onward, Sora and Toadsworth continued down the alleyway, keeping their eyes peeled for any danger that lurked in the shadows, ready to pounce on them with any given moment.

During their travels, Sora received more cards to use in battle and to open doors. Some of them were magic cards, while others were cards that led to different types of rooms. As always, the heartless attacked them out of nowhere, using everything at their disposal to defeat the key bearer. Sora used fire magic to burn the heartless to cinders, and also used cure cards to heal himself when he was injured. During the fights, Sora was able to use Link as a friend card, and he proved to be quite powerful as he had various attacks at his disposal. He was able to throw powerful bombs at the heartless, causing giant explosions, knocking the heartless into dust. He threw boomerangs that sliced the heartless all around him into two. He used a hookshot to reach tall buildings, so he could execute high attacks. Link also had a powerful hammer when which hit the ground caused an earthquake, knocking the heartless over.

Sora was impressed by the fact that Link was able to carry so many items in his pocket. He thought that Link was some sort of RPG character or something. Sora used his keyblade to bash and slash the heartless aside with full force, using every card that he could find. After defeating another group, Sora arrived at another door and used a card to enter it. The next area was yet another alley, where more heartless appeared from the ground. Sora clashed with the female heartless and avoided attacks from giant heartless known as Fire Bandits.

Sora attacked the giant heatless' stomach, only to notice that the attack had no effect what so ever. It used its giant hands to smack Sora aside, sending him crashing to the ground, feeling the burn from the heartless' attack as it was able to produce fire. Although Sora was losing his memories, he remembered facing this thing once before, and remembered that while he had a stomach of steel, he had a weak back. Sora quickly leaped over the heartless as it shot a fire ball, and the boy slashed at the heartless rapidly.

It quickly spun around and smacked the boy aside, sending him crashing into a wall. Sora quickly leaped to his feet and used his Sleights, using the Strike Raid ability to knock the heartless into the air with the powerful attack. As it was flying up, Sora was able to summon Link again, who used a powerful arrow attack to stab the heartless' in the stomach. While it was weak, the boy quickly dove behind it and attacked it rapidly. Soon enough, the boy defeated the remaining heartless and moved on with Toadsworth.

The two finally arrived at another golden shaped door and used the key of beginnings card to open it. Upon entering it, the two arrived back at the market place, back where they started. Also upon entering, the others returned from their absence as well. They all walked to the center and looked around the town.

"We're back in the marketplace." Sora said.

"The Temple of Time is right over there," Link pointed ahead of them. The others turned to see a giant church-like building near by them. "We should head over there right away."

"How come Link need to goto temple?" Yoshi asked curiously.

Link turned to Yoshi, "Well, you see little...um...what are you anyways? A dinosaur? A dragon?"

Yoshi thought about that question for a moment and simply responded saying, "Yoshi just Yoshi."

"I think he's a dinosaur," Sora said. "He has the shape of one."

"At least it's not as hard as determining a Birdo's gender." Luigi muttered under his breath.

"Anyways, when I released the Master Sword from the Temple of Time, it caused a seven year warp," Link explained. "This caused Ganondorf to take over, and in the process he separated six sages to all parts of Hyrule, isolated in a prison of woe within the temples that represented them."

"Sages?" Sora asked.

"The sages are six powerful people that guard our world from evil and part of the legendary triforce," Navi continued for Link. "With all six sages present, they could perform powerful things, including sealing Ganondorf in the realm of time. The mystical Ocarina of Time is also needed to release the true power of the sages."

"What's an Ocarina of Time?" Toadsworth asked intrigued.

Link went through his pocket and pulled out a light blue instrument. It was an oval shape with a point that pointed out of the top on the right side of it. The others looked at it in amazement.

"This powerful ocarina has the power to control time," Link explained. "It's power was able to open the door of time, where the Master Sword resided."

"And when he took the Master Sword out, he became the Hero of Time," Navi said proudly. "Now only he who wields the power of time can slay the demon of darkness."

"Uh, yeah," Luigi sighed with boredom. "Look, as much as I like this history lesson, you still haven't told us why you're going there."

"Oh, well I just came in contact with one of the sages after freeing the last one," Link explained. "He told me that somebody is waiting for me."

"Do you know who's waiting for you?" Sora asked.

"I have a hunch it's Sheik," Link replied, theoretically speaking. "He's been helping me on my journey. I wish it was Zelda though. I miss her so much."

"The princess of Hyrule," Toadsworth began. "You seem to have quiet a liking for her."

"Yeah," blushed the Hero of Time. "She gave me the ocarina...the royal family's most valuable possession. I made a promise that I'd return to her someday. But even if I did...she and I are completely different." He sighed sadly. "She's a princess and I'm just some forest boy. It would be hard for her to be around some guy like me."

"Aw, c'mon, Link," Sora said encouragingly. "She gave you the ocarina, right? She must have put a lot of faith in you just to hang onto it." Sora went through his pocket and pulled out Kairi's star pendant. "See this? A very special girl gave this to me because she put her complete trust in me. I made a promise that one day I would return it to her, no matter what the cost. Deep down, Zelda has that same feeling, just like Kairi has for me."

Link smiled, "You're right. Thanks, Sora. But I still wonder where she is."

Sora sighed with relief, knowing that he still had memories of the charm that Kairi gave him. Putting it back in his pocket, he turned back towards the temple.

"Hey, Romeos!" Luigi shouted. "We should get going! Stop daydreaming about Kairi and Zelda! We got to stop Ganon'dork' before he finds us!"

"Right, let's go!" Sora announced.

The five made their way over to the temple, keeping their eyes peeled for any heartless. On the way, Navi flew over to Link and landed on his shoulder.

"So, Navi, what are you going to do after we beat Ganondorf?" Link asked her companion.

"Well, I'll probably go back to the forest to stay with the children," Navi explained. "Since you are a grownup, it really isn't necessary for me to continue to be with you after the mission."

"Hey, you don't need to do that!" Link shook his head in disagreement. "Why don't you go take a vacation? You've always wanted to see the sites of Hyrule, so why not do it?"

"Y-you really think so?" Navi asked in surprise. Link nodded. "That sounds like a wonderful idea! I think I'll do that! Thank you for the idea, Link!"

"No problem," Link smiled. "You work too hard sometimes, so I think this would be good for you." He then made a serious look. "But first...we have to deal with Ganondorf."

Navi nodded and flew beside Link. The gang made their way to the temple by climbing small stairs that led up to it. The ground arrived on a rectangle path with a connected path on it that went to the temple doors. Sora ran up to the door and tried to open the doors by tightly gripping the handles, but it wouldn't budge. He kept pulling and pulling, but it was no use.

"Man, this stupid door won't budge!" Sora groaned.

"Want me to try?" Luigi offered. Sora, Yoshi, and Toadsworth gave Luigi worried looks. "Um, never mind."

"What?" Link said slightly confused.

"Let's just say when Luigi deals with opening doors, accidents happen." Sora said. He then noticed a gold outline around the door. "Great, we need a card for this door."

"But where are we going to find one?" Link sighed in disappointment.

All of a sudden the group heard someone humming merrily. Looking left, they noticed a strange little man skipping by them. He wore green tights which went all over his body, covering every inch of him except for his face. He wore tight red pants and wore a clock neckless with the handles pointing to four o' clock. Luigi oddly raised an eyebrow at the little man.

"Um, who on earth is that?" Luigi asked with a strange glare.

"Oh, it's only Tingle," Link said in an uncaring tone. "I really don't like him."

"How come?" Yoshi asked.

"Because he is so annoying and he sells you things at such high prices," Navi explained. "The Happy Mask Salesmen maybe creepy, but at least he sells things at reasonable bargains."

Luigi made a look of disturbance, "Already met the guy and I already don't like him."

"Oh, come now, Master Luigi," Toadsworth said in defense. "Looks can be quiet deceiving."

"Looks?" Luigi scoffed. "Who runs around wearing clothing like that?" He looked at Sora and Link. "It's bad enough I'm looking at two people who dress funny, one with a funny red jump suit, and the other one who looks like Peter Pan."

The two gave Luigi insulted looks, though Link was a bit confused about why he was being called Peter Pan. Yoshi looked at the strange man, noticing he was holding a familiar gold rectangular object.

"Hey!" Yoshi cried excitedly. "He have card we need!"

"Quick, after him!" Sora commanded.

Sora quickly ran after the man who continued to skip happily around the marketplace. Sora was able to catch up to the man, but as he began to bend down and put his hands out to grab him, the man made a turn right and Sora ran right into a tree. Sora felt the hard oak impact his face, causing him to jolt back and scream in pain. The boy covered his face, groaning from the pain. The impact also made him feel a little dizzy, so he wobbled around the area uncontrollably. Luigi just laughed and put his hands on his hips.

"Ha!" Luigi laughed. "Now you know how I feel!"

However, he was too busy laughing to realize that Sora managed to wobble over to him and bump into him, in which they bumped into Yoshi, then Link. They all the stumbled over the small steps and landed on top of each other. Toadsworth and Navi shielded their eyes as they all hit the ground. Sora, Link, and Yoshi, in the order of their names where all on top of Luigi, who lightly tapped his fingers on the ground in anger.

"Get off of me you brats!" Luigi shouted in pain.

"Ooh, dominos." Yoshi said in a daze as he stood up.

"Man." Sora groaned as he stood up.

"Is everyone okay?" Link asked concerned.

"Is he trying to kill us?" Luigi asked in surprise.

"No, Luigi," Link replied. "The smaller you are, the faster you become. It won't be easy to catch him."

"Then let's split up!" Sora announced. He then pointed right "Link and I will go this way and you two try to catch him off at the past."

Sora and Link left, while Yoshi looked confused.

"The past?" Yoshi asked. "Oh, then can we borrow Link's sword to goto the past."

Luigi rolled his eyes and grabbed Yoshi by the tail, "Not literary!"

Sora and Link chased the small man down the right side of the marketplace, leaping over the water fountain in the process. Tinkle made his way to a two floored building, noticing a bunch of boxes stacked up. He climbed up the boxes, thinking bad people were chasing after him. As he reached the last boy, he leaped for it and reached the window of the second floor. Link tried to climb up it, but the boxes lost their balance and fell over on the Hero of Time. Sora used the keyblade to slash the boxes that came at him.

Tingle jumped off of the window and over the boy, running away from him. Sora moved the boxes out of the way and retrieved Link from within them. Standing up, Link saw Tingle heading towards Luigi and Yoshi.

"Stop him, guys!" Link called.

Luigi got the Poltergust 3000 ready to capture the small elf within its powerful sucking winds. He looked on, carefully locking on to his target, not wanting to lose track of him. He then turned to Yoshi.

"Yoshi, get ready for a big wind!" Luigi grinned gleefully. He all of a sudden realized something. "Oh, no! I forgot to see if the switch was on suck." He then glanced one eye at Yoshi while still focused on Tingle. "Quick, check the switch to see that it is on suck, not reverse."

"Roger!" Yoshi saluted Luigi.

Yoshi bent over and noticed a small red switch that went across from left to right. The one on the left was sticking down, with the label "suck" next to it, while the other side of the switch was sticking out with the label "reverse" on it. However, due to the fact that Yoshi wasn't a very good reader, he couldn't tell if it was on suck or reverse.

"_Uh-oh!" _Yoshi thought nervously. _"Yoshi don't know which one suck and reverse."_

Tingle got closer to Luigi.

"Hurry!" Luigi shouted.

Yoshi sweated nervously, unsure of what to do. Since he couldn't read any of the words, he decided to use another method.

"_Well, right is always the right way, so maybe suck on right," _Yoshi thought. _"Ooh, Yoshi hope he right."_

Yoshi clicked the switch right, onto reverse and gave a thumbs up to Luigi. The plumber turned on the Poltergust 3000, only for it to spit out large amounts of dark dust from left over heartless.

"What the..." Luigi jumped in surprise. He then angrily rose his voice at Yoshi. "YOSHI!!"

"It not Yoshi's fault...honest." lied Yoshi.

"Change it back, quick!" Luigi cried frantically.

Yoshi quickly hit the switch to suck, but when Yoshi turned back, he accidently moved his nose up to the pump, which when the sucking was activated, his nose was pulled into it, trapping it inside. Yoshi cried in fear upon that happening.

"Help! Help!" Yoshi said in a nasal like tone. "Get Yoshi out of here!"

"Now don't panic, kid," Luigi said with assurance. "I'll get you out of there in a jiffy."

Luigi shut off the vacuum, only to discover that Yoshi's nose was still stuck in there. He ran over to Yoshi's end and went to grab his feet, but Yoshi was widely wiggling his feet, which managed to kick Luigi in the face.

"Stand still!" Luigi snapped.

Meanwhile, Sora and Link had to chase Tingle to the other side of the marketplace. Taking the chance, Tingle pulled out a rope and tied it around his waist. Then, he took out a balloon and tied the end of the balloon with an end piece from the rope. He then began to float in the air, just missing Sora and Link. The two looked up to see him flying out of the marketplace. Link quickly took out a bow and arrow and targeted the little man's balloon by squinting one eye closed, and carefully targeting the balloon.

The hero released the grip on the bow, sending it straight at the balloon, which caused it to pop upon impact. Tingle plummeted right to the ground, landing right in the middle of the marketplace. Sora and Link quickly rushed over to the spot and cornered the man. Tingle stood up and looked at Link, who had Navi at his side. The man the squealed in delight.

"Is..that..a fairy?" the man asked excitedly. "Then you must be a fairy boy! Oh, goodie, I've always wanted to see a fairy boy!"

Sora raised an eyebrow in quick, "Okay. Um, look, we need that card you're holding onto."

"You mean this one?" the man giggled as he held it up. "I'll be more than willing to give it to you...for a price."

Link sighed and went through his pockets to pull out some rupees, "Okay, how much?"

"That will be one thousand rupees." the man replied.

"What?" Link exclaimed angrily. "I only have fifty! It took me ten hours just to smash all the pots to even get that much!"

"Rip off artist!" Sora huffed angrily.

All of a sudden, Tingle felt something pull on his head and soon enough he got sucked into the Poltergust 3000 by Luigi, who managed to free Yoshi from the vacuum. Tingle screamed in fear as he was sucked all the way into the core of the vacuum. He then panicked as all he could see was darkness.

"Okay, okay, I'll give you a discount!" Tingle panicked.

Luigi hit on reverse, sending the little man flying out of the vacuum. As he got to his feet, the man dusted himself off and handed over the card to Link, who in return gave Tingle rupees; multicolored crystals which served as the currency of this world. Receiving the rupees, the man happily ran on his way, laughing all the way.

"Hooray!" he cheered. "The nice fairy boy gave me rupees!"

"Man, you were right, Link," Sora said with a shake of his head. "He is a pain in the butt!"

"I'm going to start an Anti-Tingle campaign against that guy," Luigi announced. "Who's with me?"

Everyone but Yoshi raised their hands. Everyone oddly looked at the dinosaur.

"Yoshi actually thought he a little funny." Yoshi said in defense

"Aw, what do you know?" Luigi replied with a groan.

"Hm, what do Yoshi know?" Yoshi said to himself.

"Well, let's not worry about that now," Sora said, trying to get back on subject. "We have the card, so let's head to the door."

The group nodded and returned back to the door, with Link holding the card in his hand. Upon arrival, Link handed the card to Sora, who took the honors of opening the door to the temple. The group entered it, not knowing what to expect. They entered the temple, noticing how huge it was. The walls, ceilings, and floors were all gray bricks. Also on the floor was a giant red carpet with the triforce symbol, the three triangles that stood right next to each other.

In the middle was a long gray pedestal with a black colored surface. On the black surface was engravements of some type that stood out on it. Hovering above it were three different colored stones; one which was red, the other which was blue, and the last one which was green. They were all supported by a golden outline around them. Above that pedestal was a giant square shaped door, which was opened up, with two stairs that went up to it. Above the door was an engraved triforce that glowed brightly in gold.

The group made their way into the room, making their way down the hallway, looking around the temple in awe.

"This place is amazing," Toadsworth said looking up at the beautiful site. "It looks very holy and sacred."

As the group made their way towards the pedestal, they could hear a groan of pain. Luigi and Yoshi fearfully embraced each other, shaking violently. Sora got his keyblade out as he sensed danger coming this way. Link, however, recognized the sound of that voice right away.

"That sounds like Sheik!" Link cried in shock. He drew his sword. "He must be in trouble! Come on!"

Link, Sora, and Toadsworth ran forward, making their way up each side of the stairs. Sora turned back to notice Luigi and Yoshi were still behind, shaking fearfully. Sora ran over to them and grabbed them both.

"Come on, you scaredy-cats!" Sora moaned in annoyance.

The group arrived into the next room where the Master Sword once resided. It was quite a small round room, with stairs that went up to a small round circle. On the circle was a small gray pedestal with a triforce symbol marked in the forepart of it. The group sharply looked around the room, wondering who made the groaning noise. The gang then looked up to see a figure fly down from the sky and landed right on the circle. The figure weakly stood up, being revealed in the light as a young male with blonde hair...or so the friends thought.

He wore blue tights on his arms and legs, with white wraps around the lower part of his arms. On the torso, he wore the same type of material as the bandages like armor. Also on the chest was a strange red oval, with a red uvula shape printed right below the eye. He wore a white turban above his head and more raps to cover over his mouth, only revealing the dark red eyes. The man looked up to see Link.

"Hero...of...Time," he whispered. "You...have...arrived..."

He then weakly fainted from being over exhausted by whatever it was that attacked him. Sora had a good feeling whoever it was is still hanging around. Link tried to rescue Sheik, but Sora quickly put his hand tightly on his shoulder. Link turned back to the boy in shock.

"Sora, what are you..." Link began.

"Hey," Sora interrupted. "Ya might wanna look up."

Link looked up to see heartless flying down from the ceiling, holding their swords in their hands. The creatures of darkness landed in a circle around the young Sheikah warrior, cornering him from every part of the round circle.

"That guy needs our help!" said Luigi as he got ready to fight.

"But we're never going to make it in time." Sora said in disappointment.

Navi quickly flew over to the heartless, hovering high above them. She noticed the position they were in and thought of an idea.

"Quickly, Link," Navi called. "Throw your boomerang at them!"

Link quickly pulled out his boomerang and threw it at them, cutting every single heartless to pieces at it rotated around Sheik. It reached the last heartless, turning it into dust right before their eyes. The group quickly ran over to Sheik and Yoshi looked down at him, observing him carefully.

"Is he okay?" Toadsworth asked Yoshi worryingly.

"He okay," Yoshi responded with a nod. "He fainted, but is still breathing." Yoshi then lightly sniffed Sheik. "Hm, something smell funny about him though."

"What a relief." Luigi sighed.

Link got Sheik onto and over his shoulder and stood up, "Come on, let's get out of here!"

"Uh-oh!" Yoshi pointed nervously.

Everyone turned to see more heartless appearing before them. Link gritted his teeth in anger, as he was getting annoyed by the constant heartless ambushes. Link tried to draw his sword, but realized his hands were full with holding onto Sheik. Sora noticed Link's hands were full, so the boy drew his keyblade with the others standing ready.

"Link, you get Sheik out of here, and we'll deal with these guys!" Sora cried bravely.

"Are you sure you can handle them?" said Link in concern.

"We deal with these guys all the time," Sora replied with a confident look. "Besides, you helped us defeat the heartless, so now it's our turn to be the heros."

"Be careful, guys!" Link warned.

Sora gave a thumbs up to Link, and the Hero of Time, along with Navi and Toadsworth evacuated the room of time, returning to the main hallway. Luigi and Yoshi turned into cards again, and the battle began. Sora leaped forward, holding the blade tightly in his hands. He brought his blade back and then forward, cutting through the heartless with ease. As he landed, he turned to see one smack him right in the face, sending him crashing into a wall. Sora quickly got to his feet, dusting himself off from the hit.

Glancing back up, Sora quickly saw one thrust at him, but Sora leaped over the attack and countered with a kick to the jaw. Landing, three more heartless appeared around him, and all thrust at him, causing him to duck under the attack, using one hand to catch himself. Sora quickly used his foot to kick the swords up which were all clashed together with each other. Sora kicked to his feet again and used fire to knock the one in front of him away. The one on the left clashed with, and Sora could hear the other one send a flying kick, which he quickly dodged by ducking his head into his shirt. Sora then quickly pushed his hand onto the heartless that landed behind him from the kick, and pushed all of his weight on it, flipping over it, while the other one gave a vertically clashing, cutting its own ally in two.

Sora quickly shot the fire spell again, burning the heartless into a cinder. Another one jumped into the air and curled into a ball, holding the sword out to make it look like a saw. It spun at the boy and he quickly put his keyblade up to block each hit of the blade as it spun around as fast as Sonic the Hedgehog. Sora quickly leaped left, avoiding the heartless as it crashed into the wall. He quickly blocked the blade of another one and pushed it back, startling it for the moment. Sora quickly gave a powerful slash across, but another one came in and kicked Sora in shoulder, sending him sliding across the floor.

The heartless leaped into air, bringing the blade down on Sora. He quickly kicked his feet forward, sliding even further, just missing the attack. Pressing his back against the wall, the boy quickly got up and charged for the heartless again. He was about to strike when the one that was spinning came out of nowhere, just barely missing the teenager. A small tiny cut appeared on his cheek, causing him to rub it from the little pain that felt like a paper cut. Sora angrily ran at the heartless, slashing each aside, one after one.

Sora saw a Yoshi card bouncing around the room from the corner of his eye. Sora kicked the heartless aside and ran for the card as fast as he could. Sora jerked his head left, and then right, gasping to see more heartless coming at him. The boy ran faster and faster until he quickly put his hand down and grabbed the card. Sora held it up into the air, blinding the heartless from the blinding light. Seconds later, Sora put his arms out to catch Yoshi in his arms.

The dinosaur happily licked Sora's face, excited to see his friend. Sora laughed and placed Yoshi down.

"Yoshi ready and willing!" Yoshi cheered bravely.

Yoshi ran forward and stuck his tongue out, wrapping it around all of the heartless with its slimy, wet, lumpy surface. He then pulled all of them into his mouth, with his cheeks puffed out so far. Sora felt his jaw drop, simply astounded at how Yoshi could eat that much. Yoshi then swallowed them whole, feeling them struggle all the way down to his stomach. As it reached the stomach, Yoshi began to struggle for a few moments, but was able to pop them out as one giant egg.

Sora leaped into the air and brought his blade down on the egg, slashing it in two. The battle soon ended and Luigi returned back from his card. The trio cheered in victory and headed out of the room as quickly as they could. As they ran, Sora turned to Yoshi.

"How did you eat them like that?" Sora asked astonished.

"Years of practice!" Yoshi responded proudly. He then grabbed his stomach with a moan. "But Yoshi got indigestion from eating swords."

"How many times do I have to tell you to be careful about what you eat?" scolded Luigi.

"Aw, but heartless good!" Yoshi whined.

The trio ran out of the door of time and stopped to catch their breath from running so fast. Glancing over their shoulders, they so no signs of heartless anywhere. The trio sighed with relief and walked down the stairs, arriving at the entrance to the temple. They saw Link who was bent over, looking down at the lifeless body of Sheik. Link wanted to make sure that the heartless didn't harm him. Sheik lightly groaned and soon opened his eyes, looking up at Link.

"Sheik!" Link cried happily. "You're okay!"

Sheik slowly sat up and rubbed his head, still feeling a tiny bit drowsy.

"Uh, what happened?" he said with a low voice. "I was awaiting your arrival when those creatures of darkness came out of nowhere, striking me down. They were very quick with their attacks."

"Those things are called heartless," Link explained. "They must've attacked you before we arrived."

Sheik stood up, brushing his hair back as he began to feel the full motion back in his body. He felt his back and arms slightly ache, but was still left in daze about those strange creatures.

"They were not like other creatures.." Sheik said stunned. "Their power was like nothing I ever felt before."

"Well, don't worry about it," Link said. "I'm just glad you're okay."

Sheik took a deep breath and sighed, realizing the heartless weren't his concern.

"You're right," Sheik responded calmly. He then turned to Link. "I'm glad you finally arrived Hero of..." He all of a sudden jumped back, noticing Sora's group. He then drew long pointy needles into his hand in defense. "You four! Who are you?"

Luigi ran behind Sora in fear, "No, don't hurt me! I'm too young to have my face skewered!"

"Please, sir," Toadsworth pleaded with his life. "We mean no harm to you."

"These four have been helping me get to the Temple of Time," Link protested in defense. "They're my friends!"

Sheik stood frozen for the moment, but then put his needles way.

"I'll take your word for it," Sheik said. He then lightly chuckled. "Besides, the one with the black moustache looks harmless."

Luigi came out from behind Sora with a red face, offended by Sheik's remark and put his hands up in a fighter's stance.

"Hey, FYI punk," Luigi growled. "I'm green, lean, and mean. And I'll pile drive you through a wall in seconds flat." He then began sending his fists in all different directions. "Throw your hands up! Throw your hands up!"

"Cool it, Bruce Lee." Sora joked while rolling his eyes.

"So, Sheik, why have you summoned me here?" Link asked the enigma, ignoring Luigi's rambling.

"You have successfully found the six sages, correct?" Sheik asked. Link nodded. "Then the time has come for you to fulfill your destiny Hero of Time. Only with the power of the sages and the Ocarina of Time can you seal the evil away for eternity. But be forewarned, he will not be easy to defeat, as he wields the triforce of power in his hands."

Link blinked in confusion upon hearing that, "Wait a minute. I don't understand. I thought he gained all three pieces of the triforce."

"Of course!" Navi gasped in surprise. "Now I remember! The Great Deku Tree once told me that those who have a heart of darkness, and that heart is not in balance, they'll separate."

"Which mean other two still out there!" assumed Yoshi.

"Then let's go find them!" Sora announced.

Sheik shook his head in disagreement, "There's no need. They're both right here."

"Where?" asked Yoshi as he frantically moved his head around.

The dinosaur then walked up to Sora and lifted his leg to look under the boy's big foot.

"Hey!"

"Nope, not under Sora's foot," Yoshi said. He then walked over to Luigi, grabbed his hat and looked in it. "Nope, not in here!"

Luigi grabbed the hat out of Yoshi's hands, "Give me that!"

"Maybe it in the big pocket's of elf man's dress." Yoshi said with a snap of his finger.

"This isn't a dress, it's a tunic!" Link said in embarrassment. "And my name is Link." He then grumbled to himself. "Sometimes I ever regret having pointy ears."

"No," Sheik shook his head "The two other pieces of the triforce exist within a living being in this room." He then looked at Link. "You Link, carry the triforce of courage."

Link was shocked. He held one of three of the most powerful energy sources in the world, and all this time he never knew it. Looking at his brown gloves, he could feel a small warmth from within his body. It was a surging power and it surfaced right on the palm of his hand. An image of the triforce emerged from a small light onto his hand, with one the three sacred triangles glowing a beautiful gold color.

"Astonishing!" Toadsworth said in amazement. "So, Link held onto one of the most powerful items this whole time during his adventure."

"Yes, and the other triforce, the triforce of wisdom is wielded by someone who knows much about its ancient magic." Sheik continued.

"Well...I'm going to assume that's you," Sora said. "We just got here, so I don't think it'd be us."

"Oh," Yoshi said in realize. "Of course! Sheik must be pretending to be a boy, aren't you?"

Everyone oddly looked at Yoshi, confused by what he meant. Sheik looked like a man, how could he be a girl? If he was, where they did go blind so that only Yoshi could see it? Sheik, however, began to sweat nervously.

"What makes you think that?" Luigi asked perplexed.

"Because Yoshi's nose never lie," Yoshi smirked while rubbing his index finger under his nose. "Boys don't wear perfume!" The others looked at each other, even more confused. "Take deep breath with nose and see what Yoshi means."

The others took a deep breath in with their noses, letting the air enter and filling up their lungs. They felt their diaphragms contract as the inhaled deeply. All of sudden, they smelt a very peachy smell enter their nasal cavity. Sora's eyes widened in surprise upon smelling it.

"He's right!" said Sora with a gasp. "I smell perfume coming from Sheik! And guys don't wear perfume...which means..."

Everyone exclaimed at the same time, "YOU'RE A...GIRL?"

Sheik smacked his forehead with a groan, _"I just had to put on that peachy flavor today." _

Sheik held his hand up, revealing the triforce symbol. It then began to glow a bright gold color, which soon created a blinding light, which caused everyone to shield their eyes from the brightness. It didn't take long for the brightness to subside, and what everyone else saw next made their mouths drop, especially Link's. A young woman appeared in Sheik's place. She had long dark golden hair with two long bangs that dropped all the way down to her chest.

She wore a white dress with white gloves and had a golden "M" like belt around her waist. Hanging down the golden belt was a flag that had the exact same printings as Link's shield. She also wore a purple tank top, which the back side went down to her lower hips. Her crown was very small and located on her forehead, with a blue crystal sticking out in the middle. On her shoulder blades she wore golden like armor that covered them. She looked at Link with a smile upon her face. The Hero of Time's heart began to beat rapidly, recognizing this beautiful woman right away, looking into her beautiful blue eyes.

"Zelda!" Link cried in excitement. "Is that really you?"

The princess of Hyrule nodded, "Yes, it is I, Zelda, princess of Hyrule."

Link ran over to Zelda, with Navi following close behind. Link was so happy to finally see Zelda again, he couldn't even begin to imagine the excitement he was feeling.

"I can't believe it," Link said. "This whole time I looked for you, but I never realized that you were right here, helping me this whole time."

Zelda made a look of sorrow, "Yes, I'm sorry that I had to refrain myself from seeing you sooner, but I couldn't let Ganondorf catch on. When I was separated from you, I had to disguise myself so Ganondorf wouldn't find me, as he is in need of my power. I am amazed that someone was actually able to see through my appearance."

Sora grinned and placed his hand on Yoshi's head, "When it comes to sniffing out things, no one has a better snout than my little buddy."

Yoshi blushed bright red, "Aw, shucks, it nothing."

"Zelda, there's just so many things I need to tell you," Link said excitedly. "And I still have the ocarina."

"I know, Link," Zelda nodded. "But I still need you to hold onto it. I am also one of the sages, in fact I am the leader of them and most powerful one. Together, we the seven sages we'll help seal the king of darkness away for all eternity. When thee who holds the blade of time strikes the king of darkness, thou must play the Song of Time to seal him in the realm of time for eternity."

Sora walked next to Link and nodded.

"Then let's do it!" Sora cried heroically.

All of a sudden, all of the lights in the room went out, making the room pitch black. Everyone's worried cries echoed throughout the room as they tried to regroup with each other, making sure everyone was alright.

"Power outage!" Yoshi cried in fear.

"What are you talking about?" Luigi shouted. "This world doesn't even have electricity!"

The group then heard Zelda shriek in terror. Link aimlessly put his hand out and ran around the room, hoping to find her. He then grabbed a hand and sighed with relief.

"Zelda, it's alright," Link said calmly. "I'm here."

"Um, Link, that's my hand your holding." Sora said in a disgusted voice.

"Oh, sorry, Sora."

The group then heard maniacal laughing, echoing throughout the entire room. Yoshi whimpered in fear and the others looked around the dark room, wondering who was laughing. The laughed sounded like a very low male voice. Link recognized that evil laugh right away. It was a haunting voice that clung onto him ever since he was a small boy, sending chills right up his spine. He held his sword tightly, ready to face whoever it was that laughed.

"Ganondorf!" Link called out in rage. "Show yourself! I know that's you, coward!"

"Clever boy!" echoed a voice. "It appears my plans have gone amiss. I was most certain my traps set in each temple would have slowed you down, including Zelda in distress, and the heartless, but I guess that was wishful thinking. But now that the fool has revealed herself, I was able to retrieve her without a problem."

The room then lit up again, revealing everything to be unchanged, except for the fact that someone was missing. That someone was Princess Zelda. She had disappeared, right under the groups noses. Link scanned the room, worryingly looking everywhere for her.

"Zelda!" Link called. "Zelda, where are you?"

"If you are looking for thy maiden, best to look hither." called the voice from above.

Everyone looked up to see Zelda, who was captive in the arms of a strange armored man with a medieval red shirt on the inside, a giant grey cape, grey boots, a dark tan face, red hair and a crystal on his head. The evil glare he made at Link sent fear into him. He once dreamed of that evil man in his dreams, giving him endless nightmare of pain and suffering. But now as an adult, Link was ready to face the boogeyman head on.

"Ganondorf!" Link growled at the man. "I should've known that was you!"

Ganondorf held his hand tightly over Zelda's mouth, causing her to scream in fear. She tried to loosen her grip on the king of evil, but could not prevail one bit because of his strong grip.

"Indeed," the villain chuckled sinisterly. "You're quite persistent, boy. How could you let your guard down for the slightest second?"

"You...mean...you were watching the whole time?" Sora gasped in shock.

"Precisely!" the man laughed. "Now that Zelda is mine, the triforce of wisdom is within my grasp." He then turned to Zelda. "I commend you on your efforts to hide from me my dear, but this game of cat and mouse has come to an end." He then turned back to Link. "Now all I need is that insignificant ocarina, so that I may destroy it, and your triforce to fulfil true greatness."

"Lowlife!" Yoshi growled. "Yoshi bet you using Zelda to win over triforce!"

"That's not all," Ganondorf laughed again. "Notice someone else missing?"

Link looked around the room, noticing that only Sora's group was present in the room. He glared back up at Ganondorf, noticing the man holding up a familiar ball of light.

"Link, help!" Navi shrieked in fear. "His dark power is too much for me to handle!"

"Navi!" Link cried. He then angrily took his sword out and pointed it at the king of evil. "Ganondorf, you can do what you want to me! You can mock me, you can smash me against a wall, kill me for all I care, but you dare harm those who are close to me, I assure you that death will come to smite thee into the darkness of the earth's soil!"

Luigi whispered into Toadsworth's ear, "Wow, this place is getting a little too medieval for my taste."

"And we'll help, too." Sora cried bravely as he drew his keyblade.

Ganondorf laughed even harder, "Oh, how I laugh at your pitiful efforts, hero. You're nothing but a pawn in this game. First you get me to the realm of time, then to Zelda, you're too much, boy."

Link growled even louder and was ready to attack him, but realized that in doing so would ensure Navi and Zelda's demises. Link knew that things looked hopeless, so he fell onto his knees, staring hopelessly into the sky. Sora and the others ran over to help him.

"Link!" everyone cried.

"Even a hero knows when he's beaten," grinned Ganondorf. "You know it's pointless. I posses those who are most precious to you, and you know what will become of them if you try to harm me. Of course, even I show a little heart, unlike the heartless who aren't even born with a heart. I'll give you one hour to surrender the triforce. As well as relive yourself of that pitiful ocarina. Maybe I'll spare their lives if you cooperate."

"Just you wait!" Sora shouted with confidence. "We'll stop you somehow! You will face up to your crimes!"

"Strong words for such a young meddler," Ganondorf said. "Then adieu my friends. I anticipate your arrival with much glee." He then glanced at Link one more time. "Link, you're no hero. You're nothing but a complete fool."

A dark wave covered the three up, with Navi screaming for help, as well as Zelda who was still muffled by Ganondorf's arm. The group once again heard Ganondorf's evil laugh echo throughout the Temple of Time, making everyone feel nervous. Luigi on the other hand was getting annoyed.

"Man, that laugh is so annoying," Luigi groaned in annoyance. "I'd rather listen to Jafar laugh than hear this moron."

Sora put his hand on Link's shoulder. He could tell Link was worried about Princess Zelda and Navi greatly, not to mention the safety of this entire world. Link felt like a complete failure. He has done so many things to help Hyrule, which in the end only ended up hurting Hyrule. He felt like he failed everyone; Sora's group, the children he grew up with in the forest, the Hylains, the sages, Navi, and most of all, Zelda. He felt completely washed up at that moment.

"I can't believe this," said Link in complete sorrow. "How could I have let this happen? I lost both Navi and Zelda to that madman. How can I be a hero if I can't even protect and serve?"

"Don't beat yourself up on this now," Sora said with a serious tone in his voice. "Getting upset about this won't help! Will feeling down about this now bring Zelda back? I don't think so, buddy!"

"Sora right!" Yoshi agreed. "Link a real hero! Yoshi may not have known Link for long, but he believe in Link!"

"Losing someone you care for is bad," Sora pointed out. "But it's not as bad as never getting them back!"

"Yeah, kid," Luigi said. "Zelda is putting her complete faith in you, and you're just going to quit on her now?"

Link took out the ocarina and looked at it. He remembered the promise he made to her about helping her stop Ganondorf. He said he would bring the magic stones back to the temple, so that they may call the power of time to vanquish Ganondorf forever. He clenched the musical instrument, realizing that he had a promise to keep and wasn't going to back down from a fight. Standing up, he held his sword high into the air.

"You're right!" Link cried with fire in his eyes. "I won't let Ganondorf get in the way of my destiny! He's just a spineless coward and I'll do whatever I can in my heart and soul to rescue Zelda!"

"That's the spirit, lad." Toadsworth said with enthusiasm.

"But you realize that we can't just waltz up to him and take Zelda and Navi back, right?" Luigi pointed out.

Everyone sighed sadly, remembering that Ganondorf held a trump card in this battle. The only way they could harm him was to rescue Navi and Zelda, but if they even tried, Ganondorf would surely threaten to harm the two. It seemed hopeless until Link snapped his finger, arousing with an idea.

"You know what, Luigi?" Link said rubbing his chin with a smirk. "Maybe we should just waltz up to him."

"Huh?"

"I've got a plan guys," said Link with confidence. "But we're going to need to warp to a nearby town to get some supplies. Listen up, because we only get one shot at this!"

The five went into a group huddle, listening carefully to Link's master plan to save Zelda and Navi from Ganondorf. After hearing the idea, the others nodded in agreement, thinking that it was a good idea. After the huddle, Link played a beautiful melody which caused energy balls colored in red to surround everyone. The energy spun faster and faster around the ball until they dematerialized into a ball of energy and flew off with hope that they'll be able to free Zelda and save this world.

**To Be Continued...**


	7. A Link to the Memories Part II

**Chapter V: A Link to the Memories Part II**

Sometime has passed since Sora's group warped their way out of Hyrule. The group arrived at a small town just eastern of Hyrule where they formulated a plan, carefully and constructively. It would take a whole forty-five minutes to gather the required tools needed to execute their strategy. Not too long after, Link used the ocarina to return them to the Temple of Time. As they appeared, they looked around the barren temple, keeping their eyes peeled for Ganondorf.

"It looks clear," Link whispered carefully. "We must make haste to the castle."

"How are you sure this plan will work?" Luigi asked nervously. "Ganondorf doesn't sound like the kinda guy to be deceived easily."

"Shh!" Sora shushed Luigi. "He could hear us! We have to act as casual as possible so he doesn't have any doubts."

"Well, what happens if he somehow manages to see through our plans?" Luigi said frantically. "Then what? He'll tear us to shreds! He's going to pound us into the ground! He can probably destroy us just by looking at us! He'll..."

Yoshi covered Luigi's mouth, stopping his hysterical rants from getting any louder. Link crossed his arms, giving Luigi a dirty look.

"Boy, you really don't look at the bright side of things, huh?" Link said in amazement.

"Hey, everyone else is always optimistic," Luigi explained in defense. "Ya need someone to look at the negative of things."

"Listen, I'm more than sure this plan will be successful," Link said boldly. "Being a hero takes more than just the weapons, the brute strength, and the bravery. It also takes cunningness and a sharp mind. Strategy is sometimes a weapon when combating an opponent. As you journey through your trial of heroism, thou shall gain the knowledge of life's meaningful existence and challenges which helps him sought great wisdom and sharp thinking, which can overcome any vile barricade that comes at thee. "

"Nice speech, but how I describe getting things done as a hero is different." Luigi said.

"And what way is that?" asked Sora intrigued.

"Run like mad!" Luigi smiled with a nod. "Live and let live, that's what I always say."

Sora rolled his eyes, "Why did I even bother asking?"

"Because Sora was curious." said Yoshi out of the blue.

"Um, that was a rhetorical question, Yoshi." proclaimed Sora.

Link glanced outside the temples' windows as the others were conversing, going over the plan again so that it was fresh in their minds. The Hero of Time noticed the full moon was making its way towards the top of the sky, the lunar light glowing a soft white glow that even filled the night sky of the dark marketplace. Link knew that Ganondorf's one hour was close to expiring and they had to get a move on towards the castle before the dark king would come after them.

Link turned back towards the others, "Come on! We should head over to the castle! We have exactly ten minutes remaining!"

The others nodded in agreement and they left the castle. As the proceeded outside, they made a left turn towards another white door, and Sora held one of the cards up, causing the familiar flash to open the door. As he entered the door, Luigi, Yoshi, and Link turned into cards again, so that they could assist Sora as he battled his way through heartless after heartless. He arrived down a long limestone pathway with a gray color to it. The path curved left and then right as he and Toadsworth walked down it, cautiously watching for heartless.

In the distance, Sora could see a giant, dark castle, floating in the cloudy sky, making the area look less illuminate than it already was. The two continued down the path until it became more linear, allowing them to travel down it in a straight line. Unfortunately, the heartless were awaiting their arrival on the path. Sora drew the keyblade and slashed through the fiends of darkness, piercing through the skin of each one he fought. One leaped into the air and was ready to bring a claw on him, but the boy quickly jerked his head back, dodging the attack.

Sora gripped the handles with both hands and pointed the blade at the heartless.

"Burn!" Sora cried fiercely.

The scorching fireball emerged from the very tip of the blade, and fired out, burning the monster into cinder upon impact. Another one brought its sword down on the key bearer, but he horizontally block the attack. Quickly pushing back, the boy gave a kick at the creature, which sadly, it dodged by leaping over him, not before giving an abrasive slash to the back. Sora felt the sharpness of the blade impact him like a thousand knifes as he fell down. Sora quickly caught himself with both hands, stopping his head from hitting the ground.

The creature quickly leaped over him again, landing in front of him. He tried to slash the boy's arms, but Sora pressed up, pushing himself into the air. Sora quickly front flipped over and brought the keyblade down on the heartless, cutting it right in two. Another one charged from behind him, and the boy quickly spun around, and slashed the heartless horizontally, cutting that one in half. Sora also called in Ness to help, who used his PK fire to shoot a small lightning bolt which ignited into flames, burning even more heartless into cinders. Sora used his friend cards to call in Link, who used his magical sword techniques to slaughter them.

Yoshi arrived next and used his egg roll move in which he curled into a ball, and became an egg, rolling around the battlefield and knocking any enemies that came in contact with the green spotted egg. At one point the egg bounced into the air, and using the keyblade as a bat, the boy sent it knocking back at the heartless. Even the giant heartless got sent flying back by the intense strike. Luigi came in and used F.L.U.D.D to weaken the Fire Bandits. The impact from the water caused steam to emerge from the creatures' body. Luigi then sent a powerful punch, knocking the creature of darkness back. He then spun his body around, creating a powerful tornado around him, which had as much sucking power as Kirby absorbing his enemies. The heartless tried to grab onto something solid, but to their despair, found nothing.

The heartless went flying in and received a hard blow from Luigi's mighty punches, knocking them all back. Another Fire Bandit charged for Sora, shooting fireballs at the boy, who deflected the attack backwards.

"Be careful, kid!" Luigi warned. "That heartless is so fat that it's going to take two trains and a bus to get on his weak side."

Sora just moaned at Luigi, "Ah, more jokes. Don't you ever give it a rest?"

"One day, you'll see," Luigi shouted. "I will get you to laugh."

"Fat chance!" Sora cried at he tapped three cards.

Sora's keyblade began to glow a red color, with electricity sparking around it. He then grabbed it with both hands and attacked with an over the shoulder strike, delivering a hard slash to the stomach. As the heartless flinched backwards, Sora delivered another hard blow across the stomach, and then one more right down the middle. The heartless then split into three, and vanished into a dark portal. Soon the battle had ended, and Sora once again was victorious. The boy grinned and rubbed his finger under his nose.

Toadsworth walked up to Sora.

"Excellent work as always, Master Sora," Toadsworth said happily. "If I was young again, I could've helped you in your struggle against the heartless. It's no fun, especially since only Master Luigi and Yoshi can help you for a short time."

Sora held his keyblade up with confidence, "Hey, don't worry! I'm the keyblade master! Those stupid heartless and those hooded freaks won't stand in the way of what I need to accomplish!"

"Yes, that is the enthusiasm I enjoy hearing from you," Toadsworth chortled. "With that attitude we'll rescue the fair maidens in no time."

"Then we gotta truck on!" Sora nodded.

Sora gave Toadsworth a piggyback ride down the rest of the pathway so that they could get there faster. As they ran past a tree, a familiar figure was lurking around the tree, watching the key bearer's process. The figure emerged from the shadows, revealing himself to be Axel. The enigmatic man of eternal flames looked at Sora with astonishment. He has never seen anyone with so much power, nor has he seen anyone process so quickly with learning the cards.

"Man, this kid is dominating," Axel whispered. "He's catching on so quickly. It took us about a year to master the cards, and it's been like what? A day or two? He's already got so used to it. His heart is so much different from other beings who have hearts. I must learn his secret."

Axel walked out of the tree and watched Sora walk down the path.

"_Little does he know he's totally oblivious to the fact about what will happen if he successfully beats Ganondorf, or any other fiends of his he runs into." _Axel grinned lightly.

Not too long after beating another round of heartless, the two arrived at the end of the pathway. The two looked around, wondering where to go next. Toadsworth then looked up and gasped in shock.

"Master Sora, we reached the end of the road," Toadsworth said. "But the place we've arrived at is no Emerald City."

Sora looked up, his eyes widening in fright from what he saw. The evil kings flying fortress was very tall with a grayish color, and many edges of the castle had sharp spikes on it. It was only a few feet right above the edge of the area that the duo stood on. They looked over the edge to see a giant vortex of lava, flowing rather quickly in a clockwise motion.

"Wow," Sora said softly. "The way this place is set up gives you sense of evil, you know it?"

"Indeed," Toadsworth nodded in agreement. He heard thunder lightly rumble from the sky. "This just goes to show you how sinister and malevolent a person can be from causing this much disaster."

"As soon as we get in there," Sora began. "We'll put our plan into motion."

"But the question is...how do we even get up there?" Toadsworth asked. "There's no bridge that can allow us access to the premises."

Sora noticed that there was in fact no bridge. The boy clenched his fist with frustration as he hopelessly stared up at the evil kings' flying fortress. He skimmed the area, hoping to find any sort of sturdy object to reach the lair, but couldn't find any. Sora began to give up hope when all of a sudden a light emerged right above Sora's head, flashing brightly like a star in the sky, except it was at a close range. The ray of light gently flew down and landed in the boy's hands. As it dimmed in his hand, Sora noticed they began to form into two cards.

As the light completely dimmed from the card, Sora noticed that one of the cards was the golden card he received so many times. The other was a multicolored card with mixes of red, orange, green, blue, purple, and yellow. He never seen quite a card like this before, but also wondered who gave him the card. The label on the card said "Sages Bridge"

Sora then remembered what Link told him about the sages that were helping him on his quest. He figured that maybe these six sages offered this card to him. He could hear voices whispering in his head for some reason. The voice seemed to be telling him to hold this card up to reveal his destiny. He stared blankly at the cards for a few moments when he felt something lightly tap his leg. He shrieked a high pitched scream, and turned around to notice Toadsworth oddly looking at him.

"Master Sora, I didn't know you were a soprano." Toadsworth tilted his head in confusion.

"Trust me," Sora shrugged. "I didn't know either."

Toadsworth then made a worried, "Are you feeling okay? You were just giving those strange cards a hard look."

"Yeah, I'm okay," Sora said, a little unsure. "I just heard these weird voices in my head as I looked at it. I could have sworn I was in some sort of trance."

"Remember Master Sora," Toadsworth reminded the boy. "While we're in this castle, we will face many illusions that tend to play with our minds. We must not let those tricks get to us." He then looked at the cards. "But who gave us the cards?"

"I don't know, but I think this card can help us." Sora said as grabbed the sage card with his right hand.

The boy walked towards the edge of the cliff and held the card straight up into the sky. The card seemed to respond right away as the colors began to glow on the card. They soon extracted themselves from the card, turning into multicolor balls of energy that flew around the castle area, causing the two to look on in aw.

"Wow!" the both said in aw.

The balls soon merged together, forming a giant energy ball that started to take shape. The duo's prayers were soon answered as it formed right into a white floating bridge. It gently floated down as the height got long enough to reach both the entrance to the castle and the cliff at Sora and Toadsworth were standing by.

Sora cautiously walked towards the bridge, with Toadsworth following behind. Sora carefully lifted his foot and carefully landed on the bridge. It felt solid, so it wasn't an illusion or anything. He slowly brought his other foot on and slowly walked towards the middle. It felt like a very sturdy bridge and proclaimed it to be safe. Sora then turned to Toadsworth and gestured him to come on.

"Let's go!" Sora called. "We don't have time to waste!"

Toadsworth nervously glared over the side of the bridge. It's a long way down, he thought. Just one mistake could lead to disaster.

"Um, Master Sora," Toadsworth gulped nervously. "I-I don't like the feel of this. What if I fall off?"

"Relax," Sora said with assurance. "You're not going to fall...unless you pull a Luigi or something."

Toadsworth slowly walked onto the bridge, nervously making his way towards the center.

"Oh, and whatever you do," Sora advised. "Don't look down."

At that moment, Toadsworth looked down to notice he was hundreds and hundreds of feet in the air. He screamed so loud from noticing this that the birds went flying into the air from hearing it. He then jumped onto his stomach and hugged the bridge tightly. Sora smacked his forehead and groaned.

"_Why do people always look down when someone tells them not to look down?" _Sora thought with a moan.

"Do not worry, Master Sora," Toadsworth shivered nervously. "This bridge can't stop me from fulfilling my promise to the Princess Peach. I'm not afraid to admit I tremble at extraordinary heights."

Sora ran over to Toadsworth and picked him up, "We don't have time for this. I'll just carry you across. Sound good?"

Toadsworth sighed with relief, "Ah, yes that is a good idea, Master Sora. Let us proceed on then."

Sora quickly made his way across the bridge with Toadsworth, reaching the entrance to the dark castle. The boy placed the mushroom man on the ground and looked up at the door. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the golden card again. He took a deep breath, knowing that they only had one shot at pulling this off, and if they failed, it would be all over. Sora could feel the fire burning deeply within his eyes. He was more than ready to tackle Ganondorf.

"This is it, Toadsworth," Sora said. "Once we step through, our plan will be put in motion. Ready?"

Toadsworth nodded to the boy as he held the card towards the door. The door opened with a bright light flashing from the opening. The two shielded their eyes from the brightness as they slowly pushed their way into the door. Upon reaching the other side, Sora noticed that they were now in a dark, narrow, hallway with red carpeted stairs that led up what seemed like an endless pathway.

Luigi, Yoshi, and Link returned from their card form, appearing right beside Sora.

"Welcome back, guys," Sora greeted his friends. "Glad to see you."

Luigi looked around the dark hallway, "Are we in Ganondorf's lair? Not very big if you ask me."

The group then began to hear the loud sound of an organ playing right above their heads. Luigi trembled in fear upon hearing the way it was being sinisterly played.

"That must be Ganondorf," Link assumed. "It's time we got this plan underway." He turned back to the others. "We only get one shot and if we fail..."

"Don't say that!" Sora interrupted with a snap. "This plan won't fail! I just know it won't!

Link just smiled at the boy. He's never seen such determination in someone like that before. He knew, without a doubt, he could put his full faith and trust in Sora. Luigi and Yoshi also believed that this plan would be fully successful with their amazing teamwork. They gave a nod to each other and hurried up the stairs. They had about one minute to reach the top of the stairs before Ganondorf's hour would expire, and he would try to harm Zelda and Navi.

As they reached the top, Luigi almost lost his balance on the stairs, but he quickly caught himself. He sighed with relief, knowing that he wasn't going to suffer tumbling down flights of stairs. As they reached the top, they looked left to notice a giant yellow door that stood eight feet tall. A blue plus sign with a round center was in the middle of it. Link bravely walked up to the door and looked up at it. The time has finally come to go head to head with Ganondorf.

As a boy he dreamed about the dark king, destroying everything he cherished. He could see mountains exploding into ruble, Hylains being tortured by his evil skeleton warriors, and his friends also being hurt by the fiend. He once tried to fight him as a boy, but was no match for him. Now as a young man he stood a chance at fighting Ganondorf. Now with Sora, Luigi, and Yoshi to help him, the odds have tipped in their favor, especially for the fact that he has friends who'll be able to help with the plan.

Sora placed his hand on Link's shoulder and seriously nodded to him. The time for action was now, and they had no time to wait. Sora went ahead of Link with Luigi and Yoshi right behind him. Sora placed his hands and pushed the door open. This was it, he thought. Show time.

The room inside was very wide, with large square tiles on the floor with a tan type color. There were many yellow, tinted, glass windows all on the walls, that were very large. In the middle of the room was a giant organ that was being played by the king of darkness. There was a giant red carpet that lead from the organ all the way to the door. Ganondorf was playing away on the organ, the song gave you a feel that this was truly an evil and sinister man.

Right above him was Zelda, sealed away in a pink crystal, impassive, impenetrable. She had her hands desperately pressed against the wall. She was frightened and horrified, not sure what this evil man had in store for the beautiful princess of Hyrule. Also chained up right next to her was Navi. The little glowing ball began to fly all over the place, struggling to get free from her chained prison. She struggled and struggled, putting ever once of energy to get free, but found it of no use.

Navi panted and panted, simply overwhelmed and exhausted from trying too much. She turned to Zelda sadly.

"It is no use, princess," Navi said in disappointment. "I can't get out of these chains. Our chances for beating Ganondorf seem slim. He can use us to get to Link, and I don't want to see Link get hurt."

Zelda closed her eyes and smiled. She was taught be her nanny and guardian Impa that even in the most grimmest of hours, faith and hope should never be a word to leave your mind.

"Navi, we must have faith," Zelda said calmly. "When darkness dawns upon you, the light is hindered within that darkness. If you hold onto that light and grip it tightly throughout the darkness, the darkness will be vanquished by a ray of hope. When I first met Link I knew that I could trust him." Tears began to form in her eyes. "No one else believed me about Ganondorf's evil plan...except for him. Because of me I put him in such grave danger. I don't want to see him get hurt."

She whispered the last part as a few tears streamed down her face, "I..love...him."

Navi felt a little better from hearing that. She knew that if she never lost hope, help would come sooner than she thought.

"Thank you, Zelda," Navi said with lifted spirits. "Link would never abandon us. He's a true hero, and he'd never back down from a challenge. He'll be hear to save us all."

Ganondorf just glared up at them, _"Hm, those fools just don't get it. They have foolish fairy tales, believing that their knight in shining armor we'll come and save them. Well...they have another thing coming to them."_

Ganondorf resumed playing his organ again, now more faster and louder. All of a sudden Ganondorf heard the sound of a door slamming open. However, he was still busy playing the organ. Sora, Luigi, Yoshi, and Toadsworth entered the room, looking around at their new environment. Sora quickly noticed Navi and Zelda being held high above the room. Luigi gulped nervously as the four made their way forward towards the evil king. The king soon stopped his playing, and glanced over his shoulder to see the heros.

Stopping fifteen feet away from Ganondorf, Sora held out a weapon that was not the keyblade. The weapon was Link's Master Sword, shining brightly within the key bearer's hand. Ganondorf looked at the boy with the utter most confusion. That sword was property of the Hero of Time, he thought. Why was it in the possession of a complete stranger that has just allied with Link? The evil king fully turned around and stood up. Luigi gasped in fear and coward behind Yoshi. Sora stood his ground as Ganondorf walked down the step.

"Well, I commend you on your valiant efforts to reach the top of my castle, gentlemen," Ganondorf remarked. "But there is something I am most perplexed about."

Sora felt sweat pour down his face as Ganondorf said that. He knew right away that Ganondorf was about to question them for Link's absents within the group. He slowly took a deep breath as he tried to act easygoing, so he wouldn't cause suspicion. Ganondorf scanned the entire room thoroughly, leaving no space of the perimeter unchecked. He frowned with slight disappointment and turned back to the group.

"Yes, that naive Hero of Time is not present with you," Ganondorf proclaimed. "So, tell me...where is he right now? For if you do not reveal to me where he is, I shall send thee on a trip to oblivion."

"With all expenses payed?" Yoshi whimpered nervously.

Sora bravely stepped forward, "I'll tell you where he is. He's no longer here."

Navi and Zelda both gasped in surprise upon hearing that. Something horrible has happen to Link. They just knew it in their hearts. But what Sora said next really hit them hard like a ton of bricks.

"He cracked under pressure," continued the boy with a pitiful look in his eyes. "He just couldn't handle it. He told us that he was a failure, and maybe it was best if he left it to someone else."

Zelda and Navi couldn't believe what they were hearing. Link had given up on them all together. The last chance humanity in the end turned out to be nothing more than a coward who worshiped his own life more than others. Zelda felt like a knife stabbed her in the back and pierced right through her heart. She put her complete faith in him, and trusted him with her own life. He promised her that he could help defeat Ganondorf when they were children. She felt extremely weak and pale at the same time. She then fell over onto her knees and started to sob into the crystal. Navi was just as upset, knowing that Link left her too. It felt like everything seemed hopeless to them.

While the two were left heartbroken and teary eyed by this shocking turn of events, Ganondorf was not convinced one bit.

"Do you expect me to believe something like that?" Ganondorf scoffed. "That foolish boy has never given up against any of my minions, and all of a sudden he decides to make off like a frightened chipmunk? I don't think so."

"Believe it, ugly!" Luigi shouted. "That kid was nothing. He'd rather save himself than risk his life for the ones we love. He may have looked like the kinda guy, but he's really not. It's a real shame how we judge people sometimes."

"Silence!" Ganondorf roared loudly. "I will not stand here and be deceived by you four peons!"

"Hey, no one calls me a peon and gets away with it!" Luigi snarled in offense. "Come on! You look tough, but you're really nothing! I can take you because I'm the Juggernaut..."

Ganondorf interrupted with a loud shout, "SILENCE!"

Dark purple waves of energy surrounded the king of darkness, which sent rough winds at the heros. Luigi cringed back in fear and quickly ran for the door.

"Abandon castle!" Luigi screamed. "Me and me first!"

As soon as he reached it, the doors closed on him, trapping them inside the room. Luigi began banging on the door violently. He then tried to push it with all his weight, but had little luck in even budging it one inch.

"Let me out of here!" Luigi panicked. "Okay, I lied! I'm no Juggernaut! I'm a Pichu!"

Yoshi and Toadsworth both rolled their eyes at Luigi's silliness. Meanwhile, Sora and Ganondorf faced each other. The key bearer needed to take it up a notch, so that he can convince Ganondorf, or at least stall long enough for their plan to prevail.

"Guess you're not buying it, eh?" Sora grinned with confidence. "Well, I guess it's going to take more than words."

Sora went through his pocket, pulling out the Ocarina of Time. Ganondorf couldn't believe it. All of Link's possessions were all present, but even those were still not convincing.

"So you've grabbed a few of his items," Ganondorf said with crossed arms. "It still isn't enough."

"Well, then," Sora began. "Guess I'll have to pull out the big guns!"

Sora showed the palm side of his gloved hand, which revealed something shocking to the citizens of Hyrule. On Sora's glove was the triforce symbol, with one of them colored it. Zelda and Navi knew that Link must have transferred the power of the triforce of courage to Sora, but little did they know that Link didn't. Since the three were still a bit far off, they couldn't see Sora's hand too well. What they thought was the triforce of courage was in reality a childish drawing of the triforce, which was done with a crayon.

Yoshi held a yellow crayon in his right hand, and gave a quick glance at it. Not wanting Ganondorf to see it, the dinosaur quickly swallowed the crayon in one bite. Yoshi, strangely, enjoyed eating the crayon.

"Mmm, banana flavor." Yoshi chimed in delight.

Toadsworth, who watched Yoshi eat it made a disgusted look.

"_Since when do crayons taste like bananas?" _Toadsworth thought disgustedly.

Zelda felt something inside of her die at that moment. She could not believe everything that has happened. Tears poured down her face in deep sorrow, suffering Link's betrayal much more than being sealed in this crystal prison.

"How could you?" she whispered, chocking up on her words. "I put my complete faith in you."

Navi was still feeling a bit skeptical, "Something is not right here. There's no way Link would do something like this. I've traveled with him ever since he was a boy, and he knows better." She then realized. "Maybe they're trying to lead Ganondorf straight into a trap."

Ganondorf realized that Link really did surrender, that he had given up. An evil glare of victory was seen in his wicked eyes, which struck terror into the foursome as they watched. Ganondorf then started to laugh manically in victory, which sounded log a loud foghorn beeping through a dark and misty night. This annoyed the group so much.

"Man, I hate when he laughs," Luigi moaned while covering his ears. "It's like listening to an out of tune tuba."

Ganondorf just smirked at them, "Well, so that hero really is a zero after all. I knew he was nothing but a washout ever since I first met him. Too bad for him. Oh, well, now I have you four to deal with it."

"I came to surrender to you, Ganondorf," Sora replied. "There's no point in fighting you. Your obviously a lot more stronger and clever than I am."

"Hm, you're smarter than you look, boy," Ganondorf grinned evilly. "Fighting me is fruitless. I hold one of the mightiest weapons in the world. My triforce of power, and with the power of courage I'll be unstoppable."

"No, please!" shrieked Zelda, fed up with watching. "You cannot allow this fiend to gain the power that he believes he rightfully deserves. He's caused too much pain and suffering to the world for so long. I beg of thee. There must be another option."

As Navi looked on, she could've sworn she saw a green blur coming from the corner of her eye. Turning to her right, she saw a familiar elf looking young man with a green tunic. Her excitement built at that moment upon recognizing who it was. It was the Hero of Time himself, Link. Words alone could not describe how happy she was to see her forest friend. Not for one moment did she have a doubt in Link that he'd pull through.

While Sora's group confronted Ganondorf, Link secretly snuck past the evil king and around towards the back of the organ. Going through his wide assortment of tools, he pulled out his bow and a special glowing arrow. Loading it onto the string, he positioned it right at Zelda's crystal chamber. Sora sadly looked up at the princess.

"I'm sorry your majesty," Sora apologized deeply. "I wish there was another way, but I can't think of anything."

"Enough stalling!" Ganondorf huffed impenitently. "Hand over the ocarina, so that it may never be used against me!"

"Hold your horses, you big baby!" Luigi snapped. "Just because you're the king of evil, it doesn't mean you can act all snotty!"

Sora gripped the ocarina and threw it to him, "It's all your's, big guy!"

Ganondorf caught the ocarina with his hand and looked at it. It truly was a beautiful flute, but it was the tool that could bring Ganondorf's downfall. He wasn't going to let this thing end his tyranny.

"The end is here!" Ganondorf laughed. "At long last the Ocarina of Time is within my grasp." He then put the ocarina in his left hand and held his right hand out to Sora. "This attack will invade the inside of your body. Once it does, it shall locate and retrieve the triforce of courage. It will fuse with my very being, making me the world's most powerful man. Of course, when this attack hits you, it will destroy your entire body. Be lucky because usually I end those who defy me quickly"

Sora gulped nervously, "Gee, I feel special, oh, so special."

"Hey, would you rather get killed in seconds flat?" Luigi asked. Everyone else gave him a dirty look. "What?"

Ganondorf held his hand out, and a dark aura wave began to surround it. The wave soon turned into a dark ball which covered the king's whole hand. He was ready to deliver the attack to the key bearer who put his sword up.

"Any last words?" Ganondorf grinned evilly.

"Yeah," Sora smirked. "Two as a matter of fact!" He then shouted out, "Now, Link!"

"What?" Ganondorf jumped back in shock.

As Sora said that, Link released his grip on the bow, and the arrow flew right at Zelda with a beautiful yellow light surrounding it. It looked like a comet from where the group was standing. The bow impacted with the crystal, pushing with all of its force into it. It then exploded into a bright light, which blinded everyone for a second, especially Ganondorf who could not stand the light. As the light dimmed, everyone looked up to see Zelda falling from her spot.

Link heroically leaped in and caught the princess of Hyrule in his arms. He landed directly to the side of the evil king, so that he was a good distance from him. Ganondorf was in complete shock by this. It was a trick, he thought. He, the king of all evil was outsmarted by these little simpletons. It was humiliating, embarrassing, and revolting. Oh, how everyone would laugh at him. He clenched his fist in anger and growled softly.

Zelda looked at Link with joy in her eyes. He did care for her after all. That radiance of hope that slowly began to die down returned, and was burning brightly in her heart. Tears of happiness form in her eyes as Link held her tightly in her arms. Navi cheered happily to see Link again. Link made a sly look to Zelda and talked in a western voice.

"Excuse me, little lady," Link said. "Looks like you could use some help."

Zelda blushed brightly as her hero has finally come. Navi just started laughing at the hero for a poor impression of a cowboy.

"You've been hanging out at Lon Lon Ranch too much, Link." tittered the fairy.

"Oh, Link, you did come back," Zelda said happily. "You did come back!"

"Of course I did!" Link smiled. "I promised you seven years ago that we would stop Ganondorf, and seven years later we'll stop him together!"

Zelda now felt more than confident that victory would be on their side today. She already felt like Ganondorf's plans were tumbling down. Ganondorf, now enraged turned to Link with hatred in his eyes.

"How dare you!" snarled the king. "You dare make a mockery out of me you retched brats!"

Sora threw the Master Sword to Link, who caught it in his hand and dropped Zelda onto the ground in the process. The boy then used his arrow to free Navi from her prison. The fairy happily flew up to Link and flew around him, causing the boy to laugh merrily. Ganondorf was just stunned at the fact that he was deceived. He, a cunning mastermind was outsmarted by a group of children and two strange adults.

"How could I have been so fooled so easily?" Ganondorf thought out loud. "How could I have dropped my guard for even a second?"

"Hehehe!" Sora chuckled. "I think it was because our acting skills were very convincing."

"You should have seen me in the Toadway production of Wind and the Willows," Luigi boasted. "I was the spotlight of the hour."

"Master Luigi, you were a tree." Toadsworth pointed out.

"I was the willow!" Luigi protested

"Then explain about the triforce on your glove, boy." Ganondorf demanded to know, glaring at Sora.

"Oh, well from all the way here you probably couldn't tell," Sora replied. "Try taking a few steps closer."

Ganondorf moved a few feet closer, and he soon enough noticed that what he thought was one of the triforce was really just a childish drawn triforce. Ganondorf gasped in horror.

"Impossible!" Ganondorf growled. "This whole time I was looking at some horrific drawing done by an infant?"

Yoshi just sighed sadly, "Everyone's a critic."

"To add even more artistic element to our plans," Sora added. "That ocarina your holding is a decoy as well." Ganondorf gave Sora the double look. "You heard me. Toadsworth took the liberty of panting it the blueish color of the Ocarina of Time."

Link then went through his pocket and pulled out the real one.

"Here is the real one," Link announced. "With it's power in my hand, I can now end your reign of terror and send thee to the eternal realm of nothingness."

Everyone expected Ganondorf to shout angrily in defeat, but they noticed he was actually grinning. Soon enough, that grin broke into laugher. That laugher became louder and louder, echoing throughout the entire room Luigi rolled his eyes and groaned.

"Okay, I'd rather go watch an American dubbed episode of One Piece than hear this guy laugh his butt off." Luigi groaned.

"Ganondorf, what might thee find so funny?" Zelda asked harshly.

Ganondorf's soon stopped his laughing and turned his attention to Zelda.

"I am simply amused that you constructed this plan so well," Ganondorf replied smoothly. "But...even this little ploy of your's doesn't change the circumstances. I still hold the cards in this battle. I will crush all of you at once and rule over all that you see. You have no idea of the power I am truly able to produce."

Sora was wondering if Ganondorf was in fact really hiding his true power or was really bluffing. The boy was now left in confusion. Luigi was already backing away in fright, not wanting to see Ganondorf's true power. However, Link and Zelda already understood the true power of the triforce and were pretty sure Ganondorf wasn't bluffing.

"No," Link stammered in fear. "You wouldn't dare! Harnessing to true power of the triforce from someone like you could bring chaos to our land! You're oblivious to how dangerous the side effects can be. It will not just affect our world, but affect you as well! I must detest! Please, stop!"

"Oh, please," Ganondorf scoffed. "That's the whole point!"

Ganondorf held his hand up and clenched his first tightly. He muscles began to have spasms as he pushed deep down into the triforce's power. A blue aura appeared around the man's body, glowing brighter with each passing second. He could feel his chest expanding, causing his breathing to become rapid and loud. Yoshi and Luigi embraced each other in fear.

"Stop this instant!" Zelda threatened.

"I thing the party you're trying to reach has been disconnected," Sora gulped nervously. "He's not listening to one word you're saying!"

Zelda quickly turned to Link, "We must make haste! Ganondorf must be sealed in the realm of time now!"

Link nodded and got ready to play the ocarina when all of a sudden, something swiped it right out of the boy's hands. Link jumped back in surprise upon seeing the ocarina whisked out of his hands. Turning to his left, Link noticed two witches hovering over his head. Both had colored skin exactly like Ganondorf, with their cruel yellow eyes bulged out. Their noises also looked like beaks of toucans. The two both look exactly like each other, except for the only distinguished difference that their hair was two completely different colors. One which was white as snow, and the other which was a fiery red.

"Kotake and Koume!" exclaimed Link. "I thought I disposed of you two hags back at the Spirit Temple!"

"Who are you calling hags?" snarled the ice witch known as Kotake.

"I believe he was calling us hags dear sister," Koume pointed out. Kotake was about to aggressively strike Link, but Koume quickly stopped her. "There is no need for violence now. Soon this pitiful boy will eat his own words."

The witch of inferno took out the Ocarina of Time out and held it right before the boy. Link clenched his fist in anger and despair. He was so close to defeating Ganondorf for good, but he knew it was too good to be true.

"Give it back!" threatened Link with a snarl. "Or suffer yet another defeat at my hands. This time I'll send you to the underworld!"

"Sorry, but we've already been to the underworld," Kotake tittered. "Nice place, though I think they should consider redecorating." She then grinned evilly. "Perhaps you should worry about what our master is going to do to you."

Link turned around to notice Ganondorf breathing heavily and loudly. The entire lair began to tremble from the energy that he pushed out from his magnificent power. He was tapping into the true power of triforce's energy, pushing everything out. His muscles became bigger and bigger. He was practically quadruple the size now. His entire body began to the change as the bright blue lights around him slowly started to die down.

His hair extended down his back. His eyes turned completely yellow with no pupils, which reminded Sora of the heartless' eyes. His clothing got ripped off from the increase in size, save a piece of clothing that looked like some sort of skirt that went around his waist. His hands turned into monster like claws, and his nose extended to about the size of a wolf's nose. His back became hunched back and his chest stuck out. He gained giant horns on his head, and he gained a long tail. He has completely transformed into a malevolent monster, fused with nothing but rage and a thirst for blood.

The group stood there with petrified looks as Ganondorf, now known as Ganon, flipped down from the sky and slammed his giant feet into the ground. The impact caused a massive earthquake to erupt from his amazing strength. Everyone knew that his power has now far exceeded that of everyone else's. He drew two yellow swords, practically double the size of the keyblade and the master sword. He swung them violently at the group who quickly leaped back to avoid it.

He gave a loud, ear shattering roar which caused the windows to crack. Luigi, already beyond afraid quickly ran for the door.

"That's it!" Luigi screamed as he ran for dear life. "Small freaks wearing tights who have obsessions with fairies I can deal with! I can also deal with a guy with an obscenely creepy face! But when I have to deal with a slightly balding guy who turned into a beast, I draw the line!"

As Luigi ran for the door, he dematerialized right in front of the group. Sora knew that a battle was about to occur against this monster, but the boy wasn't even sure if he could win against it. Sora slowly backed away from Ganon, noticing Yoshi dematerializing into a ray of light. The boy then nervously turned to Link.

"What do we do now?" Sora asked Link frantically.

"We have to fight him!" Link shouted. "If he goes on a rampage at his current status, this world will be reduced to ashes! I won't let this madness continue!"

Link charged at the king of evil, holding his sword with both hands. He gave a loud and fierce battle cry as leaped into the air and brought the majestic sword down. Ganon ruthlessly swung his sword, which knocked Link aside. The force was so strong that Link paretically went flying across the room. He crashed into the ground, and slid along its hard surface. His stomach felt the pain as it slid hardly across the ground.

Ganon was way too powerful for them to beat alone. His strength has increased sharply from releasing the triforce's power. Link weakly sat up, but instantly fell back down. It felt like every muscle in his body became paralyzed from the devastating blow. The two girls quickly ran to the Hero of Time's aid with looks of fear. Zelda bent down to Link and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Oh, Link!" Navi cried worryingly. "Are you alright?"

Link groaned, "He's too powerful! I..I..can barely just stand up from that attack!"

Sora ran over to Link to help out. Together, he and the girls were able to get Link onto his feet. Sora saw how damaged Link looked. Sora knew he couldn't beat the diabolical monster on his own.

"We're toast!" said Sora unconfinedly. "We're way out of his league! He can crush us into pancakes!"

Ganon continued to roar loudly, swinging his swords violently in the air. He then slowly made his way towards the three with his eyes all aglow. Saliva slowly poured down his face as he got closer and closer towards his pray. There had to be a way to beat him. But how? Link then realized that the only option was to grab the Ocarina of Time back from the Twinrova sisters. Sora and Link drew their weapons heroically, showing no fear into the creature's eyes.

"Sora, we need to get the ocarina back," Link said "It's the only chance we have at defeating him. If we perish now in battle, I thank you for all you've done. You've been a great friend."

"Why don't you tell me that later when we beat him," Sora smirked with confidence. "I don't intend on losing."

"Please, be careful!" Zelda warned. "This our last chance to restore peace and tranquility to our land."

Link turned to Zelda with a brave glare in his eyes.

"I will, princess!" Link said. "I'll never break the promise I made to you when we first met! There's no way I'm backing down from this fight!"

Zelda walked over to Link with a smile and gently kissed his cheek. The hero of time felt her warm lips embrace the skin of his cheek, causing him to blush brightly from the kiss. Navi flew around Link and giggled lightly as the hero stood blankly into space from such an enjoyable kiss. Sora walked over and shook Link roughly.

"Snap out of it, lover boy!" Sora shouted. "We have work to do!"

Ganon roared loudly and charged for the two, fast and furiously. Link used his arm to push Zelda out of the way, and the two rolled in opposite directions, just narrowly missing the monster's assault. Soon things went from bad to worse as Link disappeared, once again becoming a card like his friends. Sora gulped nervously upon realizing this.

"Okay, slight problem," Sora said nervously. _"I got to lead him astray from ugly and uglier over there. Then, I can grab the Ocarina and end this." _Bravely facing Ganondorf, Sora took his right eyelid and pulled it down, revealing the red inside of it. "Hey, Ganon'dork', is that all you've got?"

Ganon roughly charged Sora and rammed his head into the boy. Sora felt like his stomach was being hit by a truck. The force was too strong to describe. Ganon rammed the boy into the wall, which caused him to scream in pain from the extreme damage. The dark king then grabbed his shirt collar and slammed him into the ground. The force was so strong that Sora went flying back up, and was in clear target for the king to stab him with both swords.

Sora quickly took wind of this, and used every force in his body to move left. Ganon just missed him by a fraction. Quickly landing on his feet, Sora leaped up and tried to attack the face with the keyblade, but the monster blocked it with both of his blades. The impact sent Sora flying into the air. Zelda shrieked in fear for Sora's life as he went flying towards the ceiling. As he reached the top, the boy quickly kicked against the ceiling and charged back.

Holding the tip of the keyblade out, Sora commanded a fire attack. The attack bursted out and flew right at Ganon. The attack hit the creature, but he was unfazed by the attack. Sora gritted his teeth in anger as he couldn't even put a dent in him. Landing on the ground, Sora quickly ran at the creature again, holding the handle of the blade with both hands. Sora was ready to strike when Ganon struck first with a hard swing. The boy quickly rolled under the attack, and quickly turned around to clash with the second sword that came at him.

The blades clashed, causing a loud clang and sparks to fly from the force. Ganon took the first sword and pointed the blade straight down at the boy's head. He then brought the blade down on the boy, who quickly saw this and jerked his head back, narrowly missing the attack. From jerking his head back he fell onto his back. Ganon roared and tried to stomp on Sora like a bug. He quickly rolled away from Ganon like a log, rolling and rolling across the room. He quickly got to his feet and used his sleights to combine three fire cards to release firaga. From his keyblade emerged a giant scorching fire ball the size of an cannonball. The attack went at Ganon who held his arms parallel to each other, and crossed his blades to look like an X.

The attack impacted the swords and the king of evil did everything he could to push the attack back. However, the force from the spell was very powerful, which pushed Ganon back as a result. Sora noticed the ground cracking from the struggle. Finally, the fireball overpowered Ganon and pushed him all the way into a wall. Dust and debris flew out from the powerful force. Zelda and Navi both cheered to see Ganon has been struck down. Celebration, sadly, was still far away from reached. Sora knew that with Ganon out of commission for a bit , he could grab the ocarina.

"_That attacked slowed him down...for the moment," _Sora thought. _"Now's my chance to grab the ocarina!"_

Sora quickly ran towards the witches who noticed the heroic youth charging at them. They both started cackling evilly to each other for Sora's pitiful attempts.

"Such an impudent, delinquent," Koume laughed. "This child believes he can stop us? Come, sister! Let us eradicate this pest!"

Kotake snorted. She was in no mood for her twin sister to be telling her what to do.

"You dare tell me what to do?" Kotake hissed. "I don't remember you being in charge of this operation. Besides, I'm older, so I make the rules."

Koume gave her sister a look of disbelief. They were the same age. How could she be older?

"What? How can you be older?" Koume protested. "We're twins! You've gone completely senile!"

"Me senile?" scoffed Kotake harshly. "You're the one who keeps crawling around the room, searching for your teeth when you knock them off the dresser at night!"

"Oh, yeah?" argued Koume. "Well, your so senile that you can't tell the difference between the gentlemen's or lady's washroom, even by reading the symbols on the doors."

"What?" Kotake replied in defense. "Of course I can! The gentlemen's is the one with the skirt on it." Koume awkwardly looked at her. "Hey, haven't you seen those men who play the bagpipes? They wear skirts!"

"That's an entirely different trend you buffoon!" Koume snapped.

"Don't you call me a buffoon you shriveled up old raisin!" Kotake argued.

"You want to start something?" Koume screeched.

"Bring it on, hag!" Kotake dared.

"Oh, a challenge, huh?" Koume replied. "Your dimwittedness will be your own undoing!"

The two witches conjured up the spells of their respected elements. The two spells glowed brightly in their hands, and they unleashed the attacks. The two attacks collided with each other, creating a massive explosion that sent them flying off to the corners of the room. As they flew off, Sora watched with a scratched head.

"Should be grateful I'm an only child," Sora said. The boy then gasped to see the Ocarina of Time landing only a few feet away. "Sweet! Guess I don't know my own strength!"

"Superb!" Navi cheered. "Those old hags' egos blinded what they really need to accomplish!"

"Hurry, Sora," Zelda called. "We must seal Ganondorf away!"

"I got it!" Sora responded as he ran to the ocarina.

Before he could grab it, Ganon came out from behind the dark corners and rammed his arm into Sora's chest. He felt his the impact strike him like a ton of bricks. He couldn't breath from the pressure Ganon was putting on his lungs. The force then sent Sora flying across the room, who also got a whiff of Ganon's armpits before getting launched.

"When's the last time you had a bath?" Sora bellowed as he flew across the room.

He made a hard landing into the wall, causing dust and particles to fly out. Toadsworth covered his eyes in fear from watching his friend get hurt.

"Oh, dear, Master Sora!" Toadsworth cried.

Sora emerged from the dust, bruised and scarred from the devastating attacks. He held his keyblade firmly in hands, and panted loudly. Sweat began to pour down his face from all the effort he put in. He noticed the monster was walking towards him with a low growl, and his feet were pounding the ground roughly. This caused a violently earthquake that caused everyone to stumble over.

Sora just grinned with a weak chuckle, "Man, if Luigi, Yoshi, and Link were here at once, the entire outcome of this fight would be different. Stupid castle rules! But I can't give up against this guy. I promised everyone; Link, Zelda, Yoshi, Luigi, Riku, and most of all Kairi. I won't let you win Ganondorf! I won't!"

Sora ran at Ganon with full speed, screaming at the top of his lungs. The audience watched as Sora went back in for round two. Ganon held his two swords as Sora charged at the sinister creature of darkness. Sora used his sleights again, this time to release the powerful force of blitz. Ganon swatted both swords horizontally at Sora, but the keyblade master leaped over the attacks. His keyblade began to glow in a bedazzled purple light that brightened the entire area. Sora brought his blade down on the creature's face, and the impact was so powerful that the floor they were fighting on collapsed. The two combatants fell through the floor and arrived in another dark room.

Meanwhile, the ground was still cracking from the intense power. The floor violently shook, which caused the ocarina to roll all the way over towards the giant hole that Ganon and Sora created. The ocarina stopped rolling as soon as it hit the hole. Zelda, seeing this as an opportunity ran to catch it before the flute fell into the hole. Zelda quickly made a leap for it, but the ocarina fell into the hole from another earthquake.

Zelda looked into the hole, only to see dust rise up from the incredible force.

"Curses!" the shouted out loud. "It is lost in that dark void! If only I was quick enough!"

"Do not worry, princess," Toadsworth said encouragingly. "If there is anyone who can get it back, it's master Sora. Being with him, I've saw how he always has a drive and a will to fight. He'd never give up in battle. You can always count on him because of his determination and how he always keeps his promises."

"I hope you're right." Navi said worryingly.

Meanwhile, the dark void below stood as an empty room with two caged doors at corners of the room. The dust clouds that flew up was where the two have landed from the impact. Sora came sliding out from the dust, and gripped the keyblade. He was becoming more and more exhausted with each passing second.

"What a guy!" Sora gasped weakly. "I put everything into that attack, and yet, he was able to withstand it. He must drink a lot of power aid."

Sora saw something blue hit the corner of his eye. Turning left, he saw the Ocarina of Time completely out in the open and left unprotected. Knowing it was his only chance, he quickly ran for it, but Ganon came out from behind the dust again, intercepting Sora.

"Stop pulling a Jack-in-the-Box on me!" Sora whined.

Ganon vertically brought his sword down on Sora, which the boy sidestepped left to dodge. He then attacked horizontally, which Sora arched his back to dodge. As he did this, he caught himself with his right hand and did a handstand backwards. Landing on the ground, Sora turned his body left and jerked his head back to miss a thrust from Ganon. Thinking quickly, Sora grabbed the blade and pulled himself over Ganon, delivering a knee to the face. Still didn't even faze him one bit.

Ganon moved his arm back and then moved it forward, sending Sora crashing into another wall. The monster ran at Sora with full speed, ready to deliver the final blow on the key bearer. All of a sudden, Navi flew down from the sky and flew around Ganon. Sora looked up in horror to see Link's dear friend risk her life to save him.

"Navi!" Sora cried, extremely fatigued. "What are you doing?"

"I'll stall him long enough for you to grab the ocarina!" Navi said. "Hurry, I won't last much longer!"

Ganon swatted away at Navi like a fly, while Sora used a cure card to heal his wounds. The key bearer quickly ran for the ocarina as fast as he could, but stopped to saw that Ganon has caught the little spec of light in his hands. She began whimpering in fear as she came face to face with him. The creature manically licked it's lips, ready to enjoy the pleasure of eating her up. Sora couldn't leave Navi to perish at that monster's hands. Sora quickly ran back to Ganon and quickly stepped on his tail in any hopes to draw attention.

Little did he know that hitting Ganon's tail was the breakthrough everyone was waiting for. Ganon roared in extraordinary pain from the blow. Ganon's roar was so powerful that the ceiling began to crumble. Zelda lost her balance, nearly falling off the edge of the hole. She caught herself and stood back up with a relived look. Sora smirked upon seeing what he did.

"So, Ganondorf has a weakness after all!" Sora grinned with confidence. "Guess he's not all powerful as he claimed to be."

"Amazing!" Navi exclaimed in astonishment. "I didn't even realize he had any sort of weakness! How could I have missed that?"

"Hey, not everyone's perfect," Sora pointed out. "Even I didn't even think about it." He then turned back to Ganondorf. "Now who's the tough guy, huh?" Sora took his big foot and stomped down hard on Ganon.

The evil creature roared from the tremendous pain it was receiving. Sora looked left to notice a green card was bouncing around the area. He quickly got off the king's tail, and ran over to grab the card. Ganon tried to swipe at Sora, but Navi quickly landed on his tail and bit down hardly on it. The creature screamed in pain again from the attack. Meanwhile, Sora grabbed the card and held it up to see Link's face.

"Just the man for the job!" Sora smiled. The boy then held the card into the air. "Link!"

A bright light emerged and Link leaped down from the sky, holding the master sword in his left hand.

"Sora, I'm ready!" Link said willingly.

"You don't know how happy I am to see ya," said Sora relived. "Look, can you grab the ocarina while I keep Ganondorf busy?"

"With pleasure!" Link nodded.

The two ran in opposite directions, with Sora charging for Ganon again. The king of evil swat at the boy again, but this time he rolled under Ganon's legs and slashed his tail, causing Ganon to roar loudly again. Zelda and Toadsworth covered their ears from the roar as it shook up the area. Link ran for the ocarina as fast as he could, and was about to grab it when Kotake and Koume flew in. Koume flew past Link to throw him off guard, while Kotake grabbed the ocarina again.

The two witches flew into the air, getting away with the ocarina. Link gritted his teeth in anger. They were so close. Link had only one other option at this point. He quickly took out his boy and light arrow, quickly loading it on. He then extended the bow backwards and waited for the witches to fly in a straight line. As soon as they did this, Link released the energy and if flew up, hitting Kotake who ran into Koume.

The flashing light blinded them, causing the two to drop the ocarina. Link leaped into the air and grabbed it, pocketing it for the moment. He then charged his sword, and released a whirlwind attack by spinning his body. The sword released a blue blade beam which struck both sisters, causing them to shriek in pain. The blue light got bigger and bigger until it consumed the two of them, obliterating their entire bodies into giant dark dust.

Link landed on the ground and held his blade out in triumph as the dust exploded right behind him. Everyone else cheered to Link for him winning, but one last thing had to be taken care of. Sora continued to strike Ganon's tail. The beast had tears in his eyes from the prolonged damaged. Finally, Sora ran out of cards, but Ganon fell on his stomach, too exhausted to continue fighting. Ganon weakly tried to stand back up, but a beautiful ray of light struck down from above, halting the beast from moving.

Link leaped down next to Sora to look on. Sora turned to Link with a questioned look.

"Was that you?" Sora asked.

Link shook his head, "That wasn't me!"

The two turned to where the light was coming from. The two heros gasped to see Zelda was the one who released the energy.

"Hurry!" Zelda called from above. "I'm using my power to weaken him. Finish this battle with the master sword and the keyblade!"

Sora and Link both turned to each other, nodding in agreement about what to do. The two leaped into the air and both landed in front of Ganon. The two slashed and slashed at Ganon, cutting his face up from the damage. The two clashed their blades together and gave one final thrust right at Ganon. The two leaped back and stood their ground. For the moment everything seemed quite, not a word was spoken. It was so silent that Sora could hear his own heart beat loudly from all the physical movement he made.

The two waited nervously to see what Ganon's response would be to the attack. He then stood up and roared, while staggering around the room. Link, knowing what to do grabbed the Ocarina of Time and began to play a beautiful soft melody. Sora watched as a blue light emerged from the heavens and surrounded Link as he gently swayed back and forth with the music. Zelda placed in her arms in the air, calling forth all of the energy from within.

"Oh, guardians of the realm of time," she cried. "Come hither and do away with this evil creature of darkness as I call you names! Six Sages, arrive!"

Zelda sent a giant energy ball into the air which floated to the top of the room. Next six more colored balls came in and combined the balls together to form one giant ball. It displayed a rainbow color as it brightened the entire room. Link continued to play the song while Sora shut his eyes from the brightness. Ganon roared as the light consumed him into the nothingness of the void.

Soon the entire area was completely white, not a soul was seen. There was one person who could be seen in it. He flew around it aimlessly, knowing that every turn he made would lead him back to the start. He was simply enraged by how a bunch of children could have defeated him. It was the utter most humiliation. It was a pain he'd have to live with for the rest of his life.

When Ganon got consumed by the light, the overwhelming power transformed him back into his original form. The evil incarnation of darkness was now a prisoner of the realm of time for all eternity. He was completely outraged by his defeat.

"Curses you meddling brats!" Ganondorf roared in anger. "How dare you do this to me! But that doesn't mean that I will live on. I shall haunt you in your dreams for the rest of eternity. You can never escape me no matter how far thou shall run. One day I will break free from thy prison, causing the most destruction and chaos throughout the land. I'll haunt you, your children, and your children's children. As long as the triforce of power resides with me, I will find away to escape the clutches of this wretched void."

And there he stayed throughout the rest of eternity, plotting a plan for his unwanted return.

Darkness was all that could be seen. He felt like his body was floating on thin air. The breeze was nice and cool as it blew in his face. He slowly felt himself gain movement back in his arms and legs. He slowly moved his chest up and shook his head.

"Sora?" called a familiar voice.

Sora opened his eyes to see Yoshi standing right in front of him. The dinosaur had a sigh of relief to see his friend was okay again. He then licked Sora's face happily.

"Yoshi!" Sora laughed. "Stop it! I'm fine!" Sora got the dinosaur under control and finally stood up. "Man, what a big light show! I wonder if that attack did Ganondorf in?"

"It sure did, kid." called another voice.

Sora turned to notice Luigi and Toadsworth approaching him.

"I'm glad you two are doing okay." Sora said as he walked over to his friends.

All of a sudden, Sora looked down to notice that he was walking on thin air. Below him was an endless blue sky with clouds all around. Above him was the sun that shined brightly in the sky. Sora screamed in fear upon noticing this.

"WHAT THE HECK?" Sora shouted in fear. "HOW CAN WE BE FLYING LIKE THIS?"

"Maybe we inherited cartoon character DNA." assumed Yoshi.

Luigi rolled his eyes at Yoshi, "I don't how you come up with this stuff."

"Do not be alarmed, Master Sora," Toadsworth said calmly. "Zelda's magic is what's keeping us at bay."

Sora sighed with relief, knowing that they would be safe suspended in the air. He then rubbed his head tiredly.

"Um, anyone want to fill me in?" Sora asked.

"Well, Link, Zelda, and sages used giant magic ball and seal bad man inside of it," Yoshi explained. He then pulled out two cards from his saddle and handed them to Yoshi. "Yoshi find cards for Sora, too."

Sora held the cards up to notice that one of them was a Ganondorf card. The other one was a very strange card. It was black all over, glowing with a strange dark mist. Shrugging his shoulders, the boy pocketed it, thinking that there had to have been a use for it. Looking to his left, he saw Link and the others approach them.

"Hey!" Sora cried happily.

Sora ran up to Link and shook his hands excitedly. He was glad to see his new friends were safe and sound.

"Whoa! Take it easy, Sora!" Link chuckled with a stammer. The two released hands "I'm glad you're okay, too."

"I told ya we could do it," Sora said with confidence. "No one can stop us from kicking bad buy butt."

"All for one and one for all!" Yoshi cheered.

Link smiled and nodded. He was so grateful to have friends who truly cared and stood by his side the whole time. This was a new day as the sun shined brightly, no longer clouded by Ganondorf's evil and hatred he had for everyone. Piece and prosperity were at long last brought to the land of Hyrule after seven long years. It was the first time in years that Link could finally let his guard down, and once again embrace the birth of a new morning.

The crown princess of Hyrule stepped forward, preparing to address the heros from the realm of light.

"Thank you, Link, Sora, Luigi, and Yoshi," said Zelda gratefully. "Because of thee, Ganondorf has been sealed away for all eternity, lost in a web of nothingness."

"Aw, I'm sure it's not all that empty," grinned Sora jokingly. "Maybe they at least have a bed and breakfast he can goto."

"Breakfast?" Yoshi moaned. "Aw, now Yoshi want to go, too."

Everyone started chuckling at Yoshi's comment. It was finally great to experience joy again, something Zelda hasn't seen within the last seven years. But finally, the sorrow and pain were lifted over the beautiful land. After having a good laugh, Zelda cleared her throat and continued.

"Now that he is gone, peace shall be restored to our land...well for now at least." Zelda continued.

"We were happy to help, Zelda," Link responded with a nod. "Anything for you."

"Suck up." Luigi faked cough.

"Gesundheit!" Yoshi said in response to Luigi's fake cough.

Everyone noticed Zelda slightly hanging her head down. Her blue eyes were focused on the ground, a sad look appearing on her face.

"Are you okay, your majesty?" Toadsworth asked concerned.

"All the tragedy that befell upon Hyrule was my doing," Zelda sighed sadly. Link was about to say something, but Zelda stopped him. "Please, do not say that I shouldn't be blaming myself, because I should. I was only a child. I could not comprehend the consequence of the course of actions that was taken. I believed that the sacred realm could have been controlled...but I was a fool."

Link slowly reached his hand out and slowly grabbed her hand. He applied a little pressure and used his index finger to stroke her hand.

"And...I dragged you into this whole mess," she whispered, tears slowly filling in her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Please, don't be sad," Sora said warmly. "You were still just a kid. Don't totally beat yourself up on it."

"He's right," Link agreed. "I believe it was our hearts that brought me to you. I was always meant to help you."

"Our hearts?" Navi asked in disbelief. "I don't understand."

"Well, I think that when Ganondorf was serving the king, she could tell he was a threat," Toadsworth explained. "No one would believe her words, but Zelda prayed with all her heart to find someone. That faith somehow connected to Link's heart, and he followed it all the way to her. Love has away of connecting things sometimes."

The two Hylans' eyes were fixed each other. They truly had a passion for each other ever since childhood. The slowly moved their heads towards each other, but soon stopped to realize that the others were watching. They slowly backed up and cleared their throats. The gang chuckled to each other as they saw a hint of blush on their cheeks.

"Well...erm...now is the time that I undo everything and make up for loss time." Zelda blushed nervously.

"You mean seven years worth?" Luigi joked.

"Something like that," said Link unsure. He then turned back to Zelda. "So, what do we do now?"

"Life, a world where time moves forward," Zelda began to say. "The actions we make can never be undone by the boundaries of time. But the laws of time were disturbed when the boundaries between past and future created an internal tear within it. To undo the damage and heal the tear, the realm must be closed."

Link understood right away. He knew that the only way to fix everything was to return the Master Sword to its pedestal, and seal the door of time forever.

"I guess that means we have to take the Master Sword and place it back where Link first found." assumed Sora.

"Correct, but be forewarned," Zelda said. "In doing so, the roads of time will be closed. Time will shift seven years back. This will change everything, including physical change of age."

Everyone gasped in surprise upon hearing that. If time were to revert, they'd all become seven years younger. Sora would be a little kid, Luigi would be a teenager, Yoshi would practically be nonexistent, and Toadsworth would still be an adult, but just seven years younger.

"No!" Luigi panicked. "I don't want to be a teenager again! Going to school, the pain of the wedgies, falling over the prom king and queen, and worst of all...ZITS!"

"Hey, it's not that bad being a teenager." Sora protested.

"Oh, you have no idea," Luigi scoffed. "Wait until your older. Then you'll see."

"If that's the case, then I'm sure a portal will emerge to bring us back to Castle Oblivion." Toadsworth reassured everyone.

"Yoshi hope Toadsworth right." Yoshi said.

"Yes, you four do not appear to be residents of this world," Zelda told them. "Because your presents is outside the world boundaries I can return you four back to the world you came from.

The four nodded to her, and she nodded back. She then turned back to Link, he hand reached out towards him.

"Link, please return the ocarina to me..." she instructed. "As a sage I can send you back to your original time, as well as send your comrades back to Castle Oblivion. She awaits your arrival greatly, Sora."

"What?" Sora asked in confusion.

How did Zelda know about the castle? Or how he was searching for someone? All of a sudden he heard Luigi roughly shake his shoulder.

"Kid, snap out of it!" Luigi said loudly.

Sora shook his head and looked back to see Link holding the ocarina out. He then placed it in her hand. Zelda took her second hand and placed it on top of his hand. She felt her heart break from him returning the ocarina. She knew that once everything returned to normal, Link would return to the forest to live, and Zelda would return to being stuck and guarded in her own castle. The first person she met outside of the walls she had fallen in love with.

Sora turned to his friends with a shocked look.

"Guys, how does Zelda know we're in Castle Oblivion?" Sora asked. "Better yet, how did she know I'm looking for someone?"

He noticed everyone was giving him a strange look. They could tell something was seriously wrong with him.

"What are you talking about?" Luigi spoke up. "Zelda never mentioned anything about those."

"But when she told us that she had the power to send us back..." Sora argued.

"Master Sora, I remember exactly what she said," Toadsworth disagreed. "She never mentioned anything about the castle or about you looking for someone."

Sora scratched his head in confusion, "R-really?"

Luigi nodded, "Yeah, the rest of us heard it loud and clear. Are you daydreaming about Kairi again?"

Sora slightly stammered, "N-no! I'm telling you guys that.."

He then remembered what Aerith said about things that he would encounter within the castle as an illusion. Was it another trick? To Sora, it looked all too real to be an illusion of some sort. He had to not get intimated by these tricks.

"Sora, did Ganondorf hit you over the head too hard?" Yoshi asked worryingly.

"No, I'm fine," Sora shook his head. "Maybe it's all in my head."

Looking back at Zelda and Link, the two held the ocarina tightly. They felt a warm feeling come over their hands as they held on with a strong bond. They truly fell in love with each other that day.

"When piece returns to Hyrule..." she whispered. "..then it will be time for us to say good-bye."

The two brought moved their heads, bringing their lips together for the first and possibly one last time. Their destinies were completely different, but Link kept a strong belief that he would one day find her again. They felt the tenderness of their lips as they held it for the moment. It was like they both were in heaven. Their heartbeats rose quickly for a moment until they released their lips. They both knew that change would soon come upon them, but Link would always find her in his heart.

Sora felt a bit misty eyed from the moment and wiped his eyes. Yoshi took Sora's other hand and patted it lightly. Yoshi could tell that romantic moment must have caused him to think of Kairi again. Luigi also started to cry from the moment.

"Oh, it's so beautiful," Luigi sobbed. "I just love a dramatic ending."

Luigi went to grab Toadsworth's vest, but the royal steward quickly pulled it away from him, remembering the last time it happen. That was one memory he couldn't forget.

"Don't you dare try to use my vest as a snot rag again!" Toadsworth snapped.

Luigi sheepishly backed away, "Oops, sorry."

The two looked up at each other and smiled. Link gently stroke her hair as comfort.

"Zelda, good-bye is irrelevant to the bond we hold," Link said softly. "I'll come to see you in the past. This isn't the end. While as children we may not understand the true concepts of love, but when we grow older we shall find away to each other. I promise."

"Then I shall await for you my hero." Zelda smiled warmly.

"Hey, has anyone remembered the fairy who helped this naughty boy in the first place?" Navi shouted out in anger.

The two looked up and lightly chuckled.

"Navi, you were like the mother I never had," Link said. "If it wasn't for you guidance I'd probably never make it this far. I truly appreciate that you put your whole entire life on the to escort me through Hyrule's dangers and dungeons. "

Navi tittered sheepishly and flew down to kiss Link on the cheek.

"Aw, thank you, Link," she responded gratefully. "I enjoyed watching you grow right before my eyes. You've became a strong young man."

"And as I promised, when we return home you'll be able to go anywhere you like," Link added. "I gave you my word, and now your wish will come true."

Navi excitedly flew around.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, Link!" Navi cheered. "You are a true friend!"

"Whoa, don't hurt yourself!"

Zelda giggled and held the ocarina with both hands. Link then turned his attention to Sora's group.

"Sora, Luigi, Yoshi, thank you," Link said with a nod. "If not for thee, Ganondorf would have left a path of destruction upon our beautiful land."

"Don't mention it," Sora chuckled as he shook the Hero of Time's hand. "It was an honor fighting along side you, Link. You're the best hero I've ever met."

"Well, that's quite a compliment," Link laughed while rubbing his head. "But deep down Sora you have the heart of a hero. While our paths maybe separate, we have the same goal to do right in any world." He then handed him a summon card with a picture of Navi. "Take this card. In battle, Navi's wisdom will help you defeat the heartless that you currently fight against. Her spirit and heart is within it, as is mine."

"Thanks, man," Sora said as he pocketed it.

"And I wish you luck." Link added.

"What for?" Luigi asked.

"Well, for a moment, I truly thought I was going to give up," Link replied. "But what Sora said about fulfilling his promise was truly inspiring to me. It kept me going to fight for Zelda. I then understood why you mentioned the words about that girl, the one who gave you the star pendent. You must be searching for her."

Sora slid his hands into his pockets, "Yeah."

"Don't worry, you'll find her," Link said encouragingly. "Just have faith in your promises you made to her and hold onto it tightly. When you have that kind of belief, you'll be bound to find her."

Sora nodded and gave a thumbs up to Link. Navi flew around Sora.

"If you ever need me, use all of the strength inside your heart to call me," Navi instructed. "I'll be here."

"Come on," Luigi said impatiently. "Let's get going so we can find our friends!"

"Let's hope that both of our wishes come true in the end," Link smiled. "Take care, Sora."

"Farewell, braves heros." Zelda said.

Link walked over to Zelda, who put the ocarina up to her mouth and began to play a soothing melody that made everyone feel relaxed by it's beautiful melody. She gently blew into it, not missing a single note. Yoshi felt like falling asleep from the gentle song, but Luigi held him up. Sora could see a blue light appear around him and everyone else. He then felt a light tug at his chest, pulling the boy up into the light at a slow rate. He could hear the melody of the song echo as he reached the cloud at the top. He then saw a portal appeared, which led back to Castle Oblivion.

Looking left, he saw Link and Navi who waved good-bye to him. Sora and his friends waved back, hoping that one day they could meet again. As they reached the portal to Castle Oblivion, they could hear the flute's gentle melody get softer...softer...softer..and softer...until they could no longer hear it.


	8. Pirates of the Kongo Bongo Part I

A/N: I'm planning to bring in creativity to this chapter. Most of you know that in Chain of Memories, due to legal issues, the Tarzan world did not appear. So, I wanted to try something completely fresh and new by brining in Kongo Bongo into the story. So, get ready to go ape for this next chapter. I am probably the first to ever pull off a world that never existed in it's Disney counterpart. As a bit of a guide, the plot will follow that of the first Kingdom Hearts: TNV plot. So, please enjoy the long awaited (and temporary) return of Chain of Memories: The Nintendo Version.

**Chapter VI: Pirates of the Kongo Bongo Part I**

He was all alone in an empty room of white. Laying on his bed, he gazed up at the sky; pondering and contemplating to himself. The only thing that was within the room's walls was a small white desk with a small lamp with a long neck, which connected the top and bottom. Glancing out his window he could see the rain roughly hitting his window, and slowly sliding down the glass. The thunder rumbled gently as it finally made its way out into the distance. Ever since his battle with Sora, Axel has been intrigued by Sora's amazing power. He isolated himself from his other colleagues to get a chance to think things out as he laid on his bed, which blended in with his room.

He was baffled by how Sora managed to keep his emotions and feelings after the incident of the youth's metamorphosis into a heartless. As a heartless he was suppose to lose everything, and yet, his heart somehow counteracted the darkness. Sora was different from other people. His heart possessed unique power and he wanted to know more about it. As he continued to think about Sora, he was interrupted by a knock at the door.

Sighing, Axel sat up and turned towards the door, "Enter."

The door opened, revealing another hooded member of this mysterious group of people. With his face hindered within the darkness of his hood, it was hard to tell who it was.

"Axel," said the cloaked man. "The next phase of our plan has begun."

Axel stood up and walked towards him with a slumped look.

"And you interrupt my alone time because...?" Axel inquired.

"It is imperative that we continue our watch over the hero's journey," the cloak responded. "Remember that because the power of his memories will fuel our second plan. While each of the worlds that he visits are only figments, every single person seems to contain life force energy. When we sampled his memories, we discovered that the villains who reside within his memories contained the strongest life force. This was because of the darkness that lived within their hearts increased their life force. Not only do the worlds retain the senses of feel, smell, or any other of the five senses, but the life force that the key bearer sensed also remained within his memories."

"So, let me see if I got this right," Axel said. "Since Sora remembers the life force of each villain, that life force is intent within each world card of his memories."

"Correct," the cloak nodded. "I've figured of a way we could use this to our advantage. When I took the samples of his memories to form the cards, I implanted a card within the life force of each villain. Whenever Sora vanquishes a villain, their life force is transferred to a special black card with a dark mist. These cards are also the key that allow him to continue his quest through the castle. Whenever he uses that card, the life force within the card will transfer to our secret weapon."

Axel raised a curious eyebrow, "What exactly is this secret weapon?"

"Well, that's none of your concern," the man explained. "You will learn soon enough. For now you must continue your watch on Sora and his friends.

Axel slightly nodded as the cloaked man departed from the man of fire's room. As much as he hated to take orders from a member who ranked lower than him, he had no choice but to obey...for now. Still, Axel was left perplexed and riddled by this other plan. If the cloaked man was truly going to create a "secret weapon" three questions popped into his mind: what was the big secret about this weapon? What is it exactly suppose to do? And what is it used for? Axel was slightly filled in about this weapon, but it ran suspicions through his mind, considering there was a great deal of secrecy behind it. Was this person with them or against them?

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Sora and the gang arrived back in the white and dull hallways of Castle Oblivion. Everything remained silent as the four slowly walked towards the center of the room.

"Well, I'd say a job well done," Sora smiled proudly. "I'm glad peace has been finally restored to Hyrule."

"True, but what about us?" Luigi asked with a frown. "If you've forgotten already, kid; we're stuck in some giant castle that could use some major redecorating. Everything looks the same on every floor. If I have to look at one more flower statue I think I'm going to throw up."

Sora lightly grinned, "Hey, would you rather be in a dark castle with hot molten lava, creepy monsters, and dangerous mazes or here?"

Luigi paused upon hearing Sora's comment and thought about it for a moment.

"Would none of the above count as an answer?" asked Luigi nervously.

"Masters, we must worry about the task ahead!" Toadsworth intervened. "If we're ever going to get out of here and locate our loved ones we must continue on our journey through Castle Oblivion.."

"I still say we should turn back," Luigi suggested. "I'm telling you this is a trap."

"But didn't Luigi say he had a strong hunch about Mario being here?" Yoshi asked.

"Oh...yeah..about...that..hunch...it was gas." Luigi lied.

"Come on, Luigi," Sora said encouragingly. "Nothing bad has happened so far, right? I mean, I remember everyone here. I remember my friends from the islands, and I remember the promises I made to Riku and Kairi."

"But what I'm concerned about is the world we just exited." Toadsworth said rubbing his moustache curiously. "The man said that the world's were based off of our memories, correct?" The trio nodded. "If that's the case then we previously visited the worlds outside of the castle. That means we should have recognized the faces we've encountered."

Sora gasped in realization. Upon entering Hyrule, Sora didn't have a clue about the world, nor did he know who Link was before he met the hero of time during their quest. And since the world they visited was in fact a world from their past, they should have instantly recognized everything like they did on Isle Delfino. It was true after all...their memories were slowly slipping away from them like soap. It all began when Yoshi recalled another castle, but he couldn't remember much about it. Sora felt like there was some sort of castle they visited before, but it just couldn't ring a bell.

With each stepped they climbed, their memories would slowly fade. For a moment Sora thought that they should turn back, but his strong will and desire to find Riku kept him going. Yoshi and Toadsworth also knew they this was the only chance they had to find Mario, so it was no turning back. Luigi, being his cowardly self was already panicking.

"This can't be happening!" Luigi cried. "I don't want to lose my memories! I can't forget them! What if I forget about Daisy or worse..." He then shrieked with dread. "WHAT IF I FORGET ABOUT MY LOVE FOR PASTA? OH, THE INHUMANITY!!"

Sora smacked his forehead and groaned.

"Luigi, do you have to overreact now?" Sora groaned.

Luigi ignored Sora's comment as he was still very anxious about the whole thing. He felt like he couldn't go on much longer here in the castle. He walked over to and sat on the stairs leading back to the second floor, and sighed sadly. Yoshi walked over and licked his face to cheer him up.

"No worry, Luigi," Yoshi assured him. "It going to be okay."

Sora nodded in agreement with Yoshi and gave off his famous smile. He then walked over with Toadsworth and sat down next to Luigi.

"We've been in tougher situations than this," Sora grinned with confidence. "I know we're going to get through this, just like we always do. Besides, I just know Mr. Mario and Riku are here. I can just feel it."

"We must not lose faith, Master Luigi," Toadsworth said encouragingly. "I know things look bad right now, but if we can find our friends we can escape and leave this place. That way our memories may return to us if we do."

"I hope you're right," Luigi sighed unsure. "Cause if I forget about pasta...then it's basically over for me. I mean forgetting about pasta, that's like Homer Simpson forgetting about doughnuts."

Yoshi pleasurably licked his lips upon hearing doughnuts.

"Mm, doughnuts." Yoshi moaned pleasurably.

"Can't you ever pick an analogy that doesn't involve food?" Sora rolled his eyes with a smile.

"What can I say?" Luigi replied. "I haven't eaten since Isle Delfino."

"Yeah, Yoshi's tummy angry," Yoshi whimpered holding his stomach. "And if Yoshi don't eat soon, tummy only get madder."

"Oh, no!" Sora chuckled playfully. "We wouldn't want that to happen!"

Luigi then smiled at Sora and Yoshi. Despite the fact that at times they could drive him crazy, he felt like those two have become a part of his family. So carefree and cheerful those two. They were willing to face any tough challenges that came their way. It was their influence that pushed Luigi on. When at times he felt like giving up, Sora or Yoshi always showed him never to give up. All of the great battles Sora had faced put him at unimaginable odds, but in the end he always pulled through and defeated his opponents. While it was a rather frightening situation, but Luigi's determination to find his younger brother was beating so strongly within his heart that it clouded out the thoughts of the castle's devious laws.

Gaining his confidence back, he turned to Sora with a smile

"Yeah, you're right, kid," Luigi nodded enthusiastically. "I'm not giving up! Besides, if that guy was right then my brother must be here."

Sora warmly smiled, "I might sound a bit repetitive here, but remember that your friends have your back all the way. I mean without friends, you could live a life of unhappiness. So, you should be happy you have such great friends."

Yoshi nodded in agreement, "As we always say, 'all for one and one for all.'"

"Better catch your pants before they fall." Luigi grinned teasingly.

Sora and Yoshi started laughing at what Luigi said. Even Toadsworth gave off a few chortles. It seemed that even in the most dreaded moments they mange to keep high spirits. They would continue to do so as they continued their many adventures throughout many worlds. Standing back up, Sora eagerly ran towards the end of the hallway.

"C'mon, guys," Sora announced excitedly. "We have a lot more worlds to cover!"

The trio ran up the stairs and towards the door at the end of the hallway. Toadsworth was following shortly behind.

"Wait up, I say," Toadsworth huffed. "I'm not exactly physically fit as I was in the olden days, you know."

Yoshi walked up to Toadsworth and bent over so the elder mushroom could climb on his back. He slowly, but surely got on the dinosaur's back safely. The two then returned to the group who were looking at the new door. They noticed that this one was completely shut. There were no doorknobs nor any automatic buttons to open a door.

Luigi sighed, "You know, I'd wish we would go through a door that is actually a normal for once. What's up with these guys and the no doorknobs?"

"It's the laws of this castle," Toadsworth explained. "We must strictly abide this law as long as we're in their castle."

Luigi gave an exasperated waved of his hand, "Yeah, yeah, I know."

"So, what card do we use to get through this door?" Sora wondered. Sora slowly scanned the door until he saw a tiny little slot next to the door. "Of course! We have to insert a card into that little slot!"

He rubbed his chin in thought, "Question is which one do we use?"

All of a sudden, Sora felt his entire body become numb. It was like everything was frozen in time for a brief moment. All he could hear was the howling sound of the wind, whistling in his ear. It gave out a soft whisper, saying, "Use the card of darkness to light the path." Without thinking about it, Sora reached into his pocket and took out the strange dark card he received early. He continued to glare at it with a stoic expression on his face. He then snapped out of his trance and shook his head.

"What just happened?" Sora whispered in question. "Was I hypnotized or something?"

"Something wrong, kid?" Luigi asked.

Sora shook his head, "No, it's nothing. I think we need to use this card though."

"Sora think so?" Yoshi asked curiously.

"Dunno why, but something inside of me is telling me to use this card." Sora replied.

"Well, give it a shot then." Toadsworth nodded.

Sora placed the card within the slot and a dark stream of energy burst out from the slot and rose into the sky. It then disappeared into the ceiling. The next thing they knew, the door opened and revealed a stairway leading up. Ignoring the strange incident, the four made their way up the stairs to the next floor. Little did they know that as they left, Axel was watching them from behind. He let out a slight chuckle as he heard their footsteps trail off.

"Hehehehe," Axel chuckled. "Looks like the rookie's plan is working. Still, I wonder what it is he's planning to do with that energy."

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The four arrived at the next floor to notice the room looked exactly the same as always. The same pale white color with the rose statues. They made their way across the room to another gate.

"Hey, guys, another gate," Sora said. "That means another world is coming up."

"So, which one are you going to choose?" Toadsworth questioned.

Sora held up his world cards and studied them carefully. He looked them over carefully to see which one he'd pick. He noticed one of the cards was a jungle card while the other appeared to be a planet of some sort. Sora knew that he had to pick carefully, so he used the most intelligent and thought out way possible.

"Enie, meanie, minie, moe, catch a Yoshi by the toe," Sora began. "If he hollers, let him go; enie, meanie, mine, moe. My mother told me to..."

"Would you pick a card already?" said Luigi angrily.

"Yeah," Yoshi nervously nodded in agreement. "Yoshi don't want anybody grabbing him by the toe."

"Hey, this is a touch decision," Sora argued. "What method would you have used?"

"A vote of hands?" Toadsworth suggested.

"Bad idea, Toadsworth," Luigi said. "Whenever we take a vote of hands I'm usually the only one to vote against it."

"Okay, vote of hands then," Sora sighed. "Kongo Bongo, a jungle or Planet Zebes, a planet. Who's all for Kongo Bongo?"

Everyone, but Luigi rose their hands into the air.

Luigi moaned, "See, I'm always the one who votes against."

"Well, why don't you elaborate on why you don't want to go to Kongo Jungle." Toadsworth inquired.

"Well, jungles carry deadly diseases, and all sorts of wild animals live there," Luigi explained. "I'm in no mood to run into wild animals and become someone's pasta."

"Relax, Luigi," Sora assured him. "Besides, you become a card, remember?"

Luigi all of a sudden remember that he wasn't out for a duration of the adventure in each world.

"Oh, yeah," Luigi snapped his finger in remembrance. "I remember that. Maybe it won't be so bad after all. Okay, we'll go, but please don't call me out for battle."

"Don't push your luck, dude," Sora shook his head. "I'm still calling you out because I need your help."

"_I knew it was too good to be true." _Luigi sighed sadly. "Fine, but just don't call me dude."

Sora ran over to the steps and called his friends.

"Come on, guys," Sora shouted. "Another world is awaiting us!"

The group ran over to Sora as he walked up the stairs. As he did, he accidently tripped over his feet and fell down the stairs, crashing into everyone in the process. Sora hit the ground so hard, that he didn't realize that something fell out of his pocket. Sora was on top of everyone, except for Toadsworth who somehow managed to get off of Yoshi in the nick of time. Sora grunted as he sat up and rubbed his back.

"Ow, my back!" Sora yelped in pain.

"And you make fun of my clumsiness all the time." Luigi grunted as he stood up.

"Okay, I'll admit that I tend to trip over my own feet at times." Sora said.

"Gee, have you ever taken the moment to realize your huge feet tend to get in the way?" Luigi asked rhetorically. "And I emphasis the word huge."

"Hey, my feet aren't that big!" Sora growled in offense.

"Hey, don't deny it!" Luigi said. "Don't make me get out the measuring stick!"

"Masters!" Toadsworth intervened, ceasing the fight. "We must move on if we are to find our friends."

The four stood back up and brushed the dust off of them. Due to the fact that they were losing their memories, they weren't sure what to expect from this next world, but they were willing to face the challenge together. The four hurried up the stairs towards the next door. As soon as they arrived, Sora took the Kongo Bongo card and held it up towards the door. The card flashed a bright light upon making contact with the door. The door then opened, slowly revealing a bright passageway that lead to the next world.

Sora bravely turned to his comrades and nodded.

"Let's go!" the key bearer commanded.

Sora leaped into the portal first, followed by Luigi, and then Toadsworth. Yoshi was about to go through the door when he stopped. He felt like something wasn't right. That they were missing something important. Turning around, he noticed something lying on the floor. He walked down the stairs and walked up to a familiar object that was laying right on the ground. It was an object in the shape of a star with a pinkish color. Yoshi's eyes widened in surprise as he knew that it was right away.

"Kairi's star pendant!" Yoshi exclaimed. "How did that get here?"

He thought about it for a moment and realized that when Sora fell onto the ground, the impact was so strong that it caused the pendant to go flying out from the key bearer's pocket. Yoshi sighed in relief, knowing he was lucky enough to have spotted it.

"Boy, good thing Yoshi saw it when he did," said the green dinosaur as he placed the pendant in his saddle. "If Sora returned to the islands with no pendant, then Kairi would be very, very, sad." He then thought about other results if Sora didn't return with it. "Come to think of it, Sora probably be in hospital if he did. Well, Yoshi better give it back to him."

Yoshi quickly ran up the stairs to rejoin the others."Wait for Yoshi!" Yoshi cried.

Yoshi leaped into the portal and disappeared into the light as he made his way to the next world. Little did anyone know that as the star pendant was on the ground, a mysterious figure was observing it from the deepest shadows, learning more of its importance it had to Sora. As Yoshi did go and get it, the figure vanished without a trace, never to be seen from again.

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During their first journey, Sora's group came across a giant island with a gigantic colorful jungle known as Kongo Bongo. During a dispute between Luigi and Sora about landing there, Sora ran into the cockpit and forcefully tried to land the ship. The ship, however crashed right into the warm sand of the island. In the process this separated Sora's group for a short time. It was here in the jungle that they met Donkey Kong, a giant ape who was the hero of Kongo Bongo.

The kongs were a bunch of civilized primates that built their homes within the jungle. Their homes were basically giant tree houses that stood high in the air of the jungle. Even from the beach part of the island you could see the houses stand tall. Kongo Bongo itself was watched over by a powerful and mystical fruit known as the Crystal Coconut. It contained marvelous powers that have baffled the Kongs for a long time. Donkey Kong was the one who found the Crystal Coconut in the first place, and he, along with his grandfather had to watch over. Everyone knew that if the coconut was to fall in the wrong hands, catastrophic things would happen because of it.

The guardian of the coconut named Inka Dinka Doo choose Donkey Kong as the future ruler of Kongo Bongo the moment the ape found it. While he had little knowledge in leadership skills, he humbly excepted the fate of his future. However, King K. Rool had other plans for that coconut. He and his two henchmen known as Klump and Krusha always came up with farfetched schemes to capture the coconut, so that the evil Kremling king could rule the jungle. His plans were always successfully thwarted by Donkey Kong and best friend Diddy.

Upon their arrival, Yoshi's illimitable appetite stirred up trouble as he devoured the crystal coconut whole. Meanwhile, Donkey Kong was out with his friend Diddy when they spotted Sora being brutally attacked by three alligator pirates who were lead by Captain Scurvy. Donkey Kong came to Sora's rescue and caused the three to retreat from battle. After the battle, Donkey Kong brought Sora to Cranky's lab where Sora was reunited with his two friends. Cranky then told the group that the crystal coconut Yoshi ate can only be properly digested and released by a certain type of flower. So, teaming up with Donkey Kong, Sora and Luigi traveled across the jungle until they successfully found the flower.

While they were gone, K. Rool's men ambushed Cranky's lab and kidnaped Yoshi, so that they could get the coconut first. Sora's group returned to the lab and quickly gave chase to the Kremling crew. After prevailing many of the obstacles our heros faced, they finally arrived at the evil Kremling's lair to rescue Yoshi. After they were successful, K. Rool launched a full heartless assault. The four heros fought an epic battle, using everything they got at their disposal. In the end, they finally defeated the Kremling crew and the heartless to finally bring peace to the residents of the jungle. Sora's group then took their leave, remembering the adventures they had in the jungle with the king of swing.

Kongo Bongo was made up of two parts; the outside consisted of a sandy beach that went around the entire area. The inner part contained the actual jungle where the animals inhabited it. The beach part contained large gray stones and tropical palm trees that went around the island. The climate was very warm and the sun shined brightly in the sky. Not a cloud could be seen. In a sense it looked like a tropical paradise. The entire island was surrounded by nothing but water. A parrot with green feathers was flying around the island, admiring the warm sunny day. As he turned a corner, a bright flash emerged like a flash from a camera. The bird squawked in surprise as he was taken back by the flash.

All of a sudden, Sora and Toadsworth fell out from the sky and fell right to the ground. Sora was the first to land on the warm sand. He landed on his front side, so his chest lightly jolted from the impact. His face also managed to get in the sand. Picking his head up, he spat out the crusty sand that was in his mouth. He shook his face to get out the sand in his hair. He slowly started to stand up when he felt a force push him back down. He slightly winced from the impact. He turned around to notice Toadsworth landed safely on his back.

"Goodness, that was a tad close," Toadsworth exclaimed while holding his chest. "I appreciate the assistance, Master Sora."

"I'm fine, thanks for asking." said Sora with satire.

Toadsworth lightly chortled, "Oh, my, sorry, Master Sora. I guess I forgot about you. In all seriousness are you alright?"

Sora slightly nodded and then they slowly got to their feet. The key bearer to the moment to brush the sand off of his clothing. He then took the moment to look around at his new environment. He noticed the tropical palm trees and stones that stood up all around the island. He could feel the warm breeze embrace his face. This place sort of reminded him of his island; so calm, so peaceful. It felt so warm and nice.

"I say, this is quite a glamorizing island, wouldn't you agree?" Toadsworth said.

Sora nodded, "Yeah, it's triple the size of my own island. I always liked my island nice and small though."

"Indeed," Toadsworth nodded in agreement. "You get accustomed to the place easily if it is smaller." He then looked around the island. "Wouldn't mind coming here on holiday.?" He then turned to Sora. "Say, where is Master Luigi?"

Before Sora could answer, the two heard the familiar wailing of an Italian plumber. The two turned to see a body falling from the sky and land right in the water with a big splash. Sora lightly grinned upon knowing who it was.

"Ask a stupid question and a get a stupid answer." Sora chuckled.

"Help!" Luigi bellowed from the ocean.

Sora and Toadsworth began to worry if Luigi was having trouble swimming out of the water. The two quickly ran down the sandy beach and over to the water where Luigi was flailing his arms around. He was panicking, as he thought he was drowning. However, he didn't realize that he was in the shallow area in which he could easily walk. Sora and Toadsworth took notice of this and sighed with relief in knowing he's okay.

Sora walked closer to the water and put his hands on his hips as he made his famous smile.

"Hey, Luigi, you can stand up now." Sora chuckled

Luigi stopped dead in his tracks as he heard Sora said that. He then slowly moved his foot down to touch the ground. He then put his other foot down and slowly stood up. He was about up to his waist in the water. He sheepishly grinned at his mistake.

"Uh...uh...I knew that." Luigi said nervously.

"Sure you did." Sora grinned teasingly.

Luigi walked out of the water and squeezed the water out of his hat. He then waved it around like a towel to dry it out further.

"Mama-mia!" Luigi sighed. "I'm surprised my hat hasn't gotten all wrinkled up yet from the number of times I fell in the water."

"Hey, at least you're okay," Sora pointed out. "That's all that matters right now."

Luigi placed his hat back on his head, and looked around the area.

"So, this is Kongo Bongo," Luigi assumed. "This place screams 'Lost' to me." He noticed Sora and Toadsworth staring at him blankly. "The T.V. series."

The two responded with an oh and a yeah. Toadsworth even slightly muttered that he thought a series called 24 was way better because he felt the people who created Lost were running low on ideas. Luigi then turned back to Sora with a worried look.

"Do we really have to go inside that jungle?" Luigi whimpered. "I mean, jungles carry all sorts of tropical diseases. What if we run into a snake and it tries to bite us?"

"Then we'll suck the venom out of it," Sora replied. "And when I mean we, I'm referring Toadsworth."

"Say, what?" Toadsworth exclaimed.

Sora put his hands in his pockets and laughed, "Only playing."

As Sora felt the inside of his pockets, he couldn't feel Kairi's star pendant. For a brief second he thought that it was somewhere else within his pockets, so he moved his hands around. He continued searching, and as he did he became more frantic. All of a sudden it became clear that something wasn't right. Sora thought his heart literally stopped beating from this startling revelation. His entire body started to shiver in panic and his entire body went pale. Luigi and Toadsworth started to notice this in Sora. They've known Sora for awhile and they have never noticed him looking so pale.

"Hey, are you okay?" Luigi asked in concern. "You don't look so good."

Sora's breathing started to become rapid. How could he have let this happened? The girl he had a crush on gave him that pendant to guard with his life. He shattered a promise he was more than eager to fulfill. How could he have lost the pendant? Sora felt like a complete failure at that moment. It was like a part of him died at that moment. He knew Kairi would never even speak to him again. He felt like a nobody; a fool who failed to keep a promise of a dear friend. If it was one thing Sora hated, it was braking a promise.

"Guys!" Sora panicked. "It's gone! It's gone!"

"What's gone?" asked Toadsworth.

"Besides my dignity" Luigi whispered to himself.

"Kairi's lucky charm!" Sora cried loudly. "It's gone! I lost it!"

The two gasped in horror upon hearing that. Luigi and Toadsworth, at first thought Sora was playing a joke. They knew that Sora was a very persistent and determined young man. He would fight through a cave full of cobras just to give Kairi's lucky charm back to her. The residents of the Mushroom Kingdom were sure that Sora wouldn't have taken his eyes off it for even the second. Luigi cleared his throat and slowly approached the key master.

"What?" Luigi asked in disbelief. "C'mon, kid, is this suppose to be a joke?"

Sora snapped at Luigi spitefully, "If this was a joke I'd be laughing! Does it look like I'm laughing?"

"Good heavens, Master Sora!" Toadsworth jumped back in surprise. "Calm down!"

"How can I be calm?" Sora shouted furiously. "I lost the most important thing in the world that meant everything to my best friend! She entrusted it to me with her life, and I gave her my word I would return it to her! Now I lost it! Wouldn't you be upset, too?"

"Well...I..." Toadsworth stuttered as he tried to find an answer.

Sora was way passed the breaking point now. He didn't know what to do. Mix emotions ran through his mind like a stampede of bulls. He was angry, sad, and confused by what to do about this. He searched his pockets for any holes, but could find none. He wandered around the sandy beach in hopes it dropped near by the area he fell. To his dismay, he could not find it. Sora then angrily took his fist and rammed it into a palm tree. The others approached Sora as he was filled with anger. They couldn't help but feel sorry for him after everything he has been through, and in the end he lost the object that the girl he loved held onto. The key bearer hit the tree so hard that a coconut fell out of the tree and hit him on the head.

"Ow!" Sora cried in pain.

Sora felt his skull jolt from the sudden impact of the coconut. It caused a dizzy feeling to erupt in his head from the impact.

"Heh, for a second there I thought that coconut was going to hit my head." Luigi whispered. Toadsworth then elbowed his shoulder. "What?"

Toadsworth approached Sora, who was now sitting on the floor to shake the feeling out of his head from the impact. Toadsworth gently placed a sympathetic hand on Sora's shoulder as the key bearer slowly recuperated from the hit.

"Master Sora," Toadsworth spoke softly. "It's alright. You need to relax because simply going berserk will not bring back that pendant."

"But...where else could it be?" Sora sighed hopelessly. "This world is too big and a wild animal could've eaten it up by now."

"Don't worry, Sora," Luigi smiled warmly as he patted the boy's back. "Never say never. We'll find it, but you need to stop acting like me when I go to get my flu shot."

Sora then started laughing at Luigi's comment, with Toadsworth chortling at well. A little laughter was what Sora needed right about now. However, it didn't help much, considering that neither laughing nor tears would bring Kairi's lucky charm back.

"See, I can make fun of myself, too." Luigi chuckled with a rub of his head.

"Heheheh, thanks, Luigi," Sora smiled, feeling a little at ease. He then put his head down. "But how are we going to find Kairi's charm?"

"Simple method of action, Master Sora," Toadsworth replied. "All we have to do is retrace our steps and we are sure to find it."

"Yeah, good call," Luigi said. He all of a sudden flinched. He hasn't realized up until now that someone within the group was missing. "Hey, uh, where's Yoshi?"

Sora and Toadsworth stood up and looked around to notice Yoshi was nowhere in sight. This brought a worried look to everyone. Not only was Kairi's star pendant lost, but Yoshi was lost, too. Toadsworth even began to suspect that both Yoshi and the star pendant's disappearance were relevant to each other. Sora looked around the island and began to call out Yoshi's name.

"Yoshi!" Sora called. "Yoshi, where did ya go little buddy?" He then turned to Luigi. "Didn't we all enter the world together?"

Luigi shrugged his shoulders, "Well, I thought we did. I wasn't paying attention to what was going on behind me." He then made a worried glare. "I'm worried, kid."

"Same here." Sora nodded in agreement.

"Well, I may have a theory behind why he isn't with us." Toadsworth said.

"What do you mean?" Luigi questioned

"Well, let's think about this, sirs," Toadsworth said. "Notice that both Yoshi and Kairi's charm is missing."

Sora gasped in shock, "Wait, are you implying that Yoshi stole it from me?"

Toadsworth chortled, "That's the last thing Yoshi would do, Master Sora. Yoshis are way too loyal and friendly to do something so dishonest. No, I believe he found your charm before we even entered this world."

It then clicked in their heads. Before entering the world, Sora tripped on the stairs and landed on the ground roughly. They figured that the impact was so hard, that the pendant must have fell out of his pocket. Sora then knew that Yoshi must have spotted it before he entered and went back to retrieve it.

"That sounds like a plausible reason," Sora agreed. "But shouldn't he have ended up with us when we entered?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Toadsworth shrugged. "The first two worlds we did enter together, but it appears that if we enter within a relatively good distance from one another, then we may end up in different locations of the area."

"That means that Yoshi could be anywhere within or on the outskirts of the jungle!" Luigi cried.

"You mean I lost both Yoshi, and Kairi's charm because I pulled a Luigi back at the castle?" said Sora upset.

"I hate it when he includes me like that." Luigi mumbled lightly.

Sora was upset that he now put Yoshi at a grave risk because of his actions. He knew that Yoshi could be anywhere within the world; probably at the heart of jungle. Now Sora knew Yoshi could defend himself, but there were many dangers within the jungle that Yoshi was oblivious to. For example there were poisonous animals that the young dinosaur was oblivious to or he could fall in quicksand or tar pits. Guilt descended upon his heart and he got angry again. He then punched the tree again and this time when the coconut fell it landed on Toadsworth's foot.

The royal steward yelped in pain from the hard blow. Luigi was surprised that he didn't get hit yet.

"Wow, two for two?" Luigi gasped in surprise. "Today must be my lucky day."

Sora worryingly bent over to Toadsworth with a forgiving look.

"Ooh, sorry," Sora said apologetically. "You okay, Toadsworth?"

Toadsworth gently rotated his foot to get the feel back in it and lightly grunted.

"Oh, I'm fine, Master Sora," Toadsworth responded. "Don't be upset. We'll find Yoshi, and Kairi's charm. I'm sure he didn't get too far. If we quit this babbling right now, we might be able to catch up with him."

Sora nodded with a confident look, "Yeah, you're right. Then let's get going and find Yoshi!"

"Where do we begin searching?" Luigi asked apprehensively. "Somewhere without danger I hope."

"We have to check the jungle!" Sora assumed eagerly. "It's best if we check the most dangerous parts first before we search the outskirts of the jungle."

"B-b-b-but Sora," Luigi stuttered nervously. "What if we run into some wild animals? Like lions, tigers, and bears."

Sora raised an eyebrow at the comment, "Uh, Luigi, I don't think that a jungle has any be..."

"Oh, my!" Toadsworth exclaimed. "Look, masters!"

The two turned to notice a giant pirate ship in the distance slowly sailing in towards the island. It had a giant black sail with a skull and crossbones on it. Luigi gulped in fear upon seeing the ship.

"A pirate ship!" Luigi cried. "This isn't good! There are pirates aboard that ship!"

Sora narrowed his eyes at Luigi for his dumb remark.

"Technically, yes, pirates are aboard that ship." Sora said stoically.

"You don't suppose those pirates could have Yoshi, do you?" Toadsworth suggested.

Sora wanted to rule out the possibility that pirates have captured poor Yoshi and were torturing him, but Sora realized that they have to check every square inch of this world to find him. The key bearer decided to change his tactics and head over to the pirate ship first to find Yoshi. The reason for that was because if the pirates indeed had Yoshi, they would probably try to physically harm him or make him walk the plank. Sora knew there was no time and they had to check to make sure.

"Okay, guys, change of plans," Sora announced. "We're going to that pirate ship first."

"Good call, kid," Luigi nodded approvingly. "If what Toadsworth said is true than there could be a chance the pirates have our buddy. Also, we won't have to go into that spooky jungle. What a relief."

"Don't get too comfy, Luigi," warned Sora. "I have a feeling we have to go into that jungle anyways."

Luigi moaned, "I can never get a break, can I?"

"Nope," Sora teased. Wasting no more time, he ran right towards the ship. "Let's go guys!"

Sora ran down the beach of Kongo Bongo as the others followed close behind him. Thus, the adventure in the next world began.

**World Name: Kongo Bongo**

Sora and his group made their way towards the pirate ship, which stood tall on the other side of the island. However, trouble hit the trio like a ton of bricks as they made their way down the sandy beach. The heartless materialized in front of them, viciously ready to pounce on their victimsLuigi disappeared and became a card to assist Sora in battle. The heartless that he encountered were known as powerwilds. They were monkey shaped heartless with blue skin and vicious claws.

Sora drew his keyblade and charged right for the heartless. The five powerwilds that stood before him ran viciously at Sora with their razor sharpclaws out. Sora grip the handles of the blade tightly and fiercely slashed the one in the middle right across the waist, cutting it in half. As he finished his attack, another from the side leaped up and slashed him across the face. The key bearer felt his skin peel off as the razor sharp claws impacted his face. The force from the attack sent him slightly backwards and away from the four heartless. Two of the four then ran at him, and the one on the left quickly ran in faster than the one on the right and did a sliding kick across the ground to trip Sora. The boy quickly leaped over the attack and shot a freezing blizzard spell towards the one in front of him. The attack froze the heartless right in place. The boy then brought his keyblade down on the icicle and vertically slashed it half, destroying the powerwild in the process.

As he stood back from the attack, he quickly turned to face the one he dodged before. He turned to see the heartless brining its razor sharp claws down on him. Sora horizontally put the blade up and held both the blade and the handle with his hands. A loud clang could be heard as the claws hit the middle of the keyblade and sparks fizzed out from it. Sora slightly struggled with the heartless, but considering he was triple the size of it, he didn't have much of a problem. He quickly pushed the heartless off of him and knocked it into two more. The impact sent the two rolling backwards. The two rolled back towards the last heartless who quickly sidestepped left to avoid the impact. The heartless leaped at Sora and viciously swatted at him. The attack was about to reach his chest, but Sora quickly sidestepped to the left and countered by batting it hardly away.

As he did, the two heartless he sent rolling before quickly kicked the boy in the chest and sent him crashing into the ground. The two then leaped into the air again and they both were to pounce Sora. The key bearer slightly winced in pain from the attack as he laid flat on the ground. Opening his eyes, he saw the two heartless coming straight down at him.

"Eek!" Sora screeched.

Sora quickly spun out of the way at the last second, just avoiding the attack. Sora then quickly rolled onto his side while on the ground and shot a thunder spell at both while they were off guard. The electrical surge knocked both heartless high into the sky. Sora then quickly kicked up with his feet and stood ready as the two heartless started falling down quite quickly. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the powerwild he knocked aside him before charging at him. As it was about to attack him from the ground, Sora did a back flip and did a hand stand right on the powerwild's head. As he did, he shot two fire spells while upside down at the two heartless who were about to hit the ground. The fiery attacks incinerated both heartless, turning them right to ashes. Sora then leaped off of the heartless he was on and landed behind it. Sora quickly dashed forward and slashed the heartless into pieces.

Sora stood back up and brushed the sand off of his clothing. However, he was about to assume it was over when seven more heartless appeared. Two of them were soldiers, while the rest were powerwilds.

"Man, can't I ever get a break from these guys?" Sora moaned.

The soldiers quickly jumped into the air and spun like boomerangs right at Sora. The attack was so fast, that Sora had barely time to dodge it. A few pieces of his hair got torn off because of it. Sora took notice of this and stood back up. He noticed the pieces of his hair on the floor and he became furious.

"NOT THE HAIR!" Sora shouted. "It took me two bottles of gel to get it perfect this morning!"

Toadsworth, who was watching from the sidelines blinked in confusion. Where did Sora have all of this hair gel?

"Master Sora, if I may ask, since when do you carry hair gel?" questioned Toadsworth.

Sora went through his pocket and pulled out a bottle of hair gel.

"Hey, I always carry hair gel on me," Sora said. "How do you think I've managed to keep my hair this way ever since our first journey?"

"That is a good point." Toadsworth agreed.

"Anyway, you fiends!" Sora shouted getting back on topic. "You're going to pay for that!"

Toadsworth lightly chortled, "Being melodramatic over losing some hair, aren't we, Master Sora?"

"Hey, this isn't your hair!" Sora complained.

Toadsworth noticed two more powerwilds charging at him.

"Look out!" Toadsworth called out.

Sora turned back to get greeted by a kick to the chest by a powerwild. The force from the attack sent him crashing into a tree. Another one leaped up at him, but Sora quickly dove down to avoid the attack. The powerwild drove its nails right into the tree from the attack. It dug in so much that it was actually stuck. Sora quickly stood back up and gasped to see three more coming right at him. Thinking quickly, Sora roughly slashed across the tree. The strike from the blade was so powerful, that the tree cut in half, and the upper half of the tree fell towards the heartless. The three heartless stopped in their tracks upon seeing this.

"Timber!" Sora cried.

The tree fell on the heartless, flattening the three along with the one that was stuck in the tree. The soldiers quickly ran in from behind, spinning their bodies like a twister. Sora ducked under the heartless as it flew by him. As it flew by him, Sora used his sleights and threw the keyblade right at the heartless, cutting it right to shreds. Sora called the keyblade back to his hand as the second soldier charged at him. It delivered a right jab with its sharp claws, which Sora blocked with the keyblade vertically. It then tried jabbing with the other hand, but Sora blocked it once again by putting the keyblade up. The two then jumped backwards and charged towards each other again. The battle continued as Sora used devastating combos and attacks on the heartless as more came.

During the battle Sora called in Luigi who used the P3000 to suck up any heartless and spit them back out. Sora used his keyblade and slashed each heartless that came at him. Each attack he delivered was fierce and quick, as he didn't want to waste too much time on the heartless. Soon enough, the battle ended and Sora once again came out on top. As a result of the battle, the key bearer received some cards and a "Key to the Beginning" card.

Sora and Toadsworth continued along the sandy beach of the island. On their way they encountered more doors that required the use of the cards. In using the right amount of cards, the two were able to proceed to the next room. Within it lied more heartless for Sora to face. The keyblade master used everything at his disposal; his magic cards, his sleights, and his own natural abilities. During their journey through the sandy area, they came across many doors that lead to more areas with heartless. Sora and Luigi fought each battle with everything they got. Sora could feel his muscles begin to ache and sweat poured down his face.

Finally, the two arrived at the golden door. Sora used the key of the beginnings and opened the door. Upon exiting, the duo arrived right in front of the pirate ship. Luigi also returned from his card form. Sora was awestricken by seeing the pirate ship. He's only heard of pirates ships through many books and movies he's observe over the course of his childhood, but it was practically amazing to see a real live pirate ship. Luigi, being his cowardly self cared to disagree.

"Okay, we came, we saw, and now let's say arrivederchi and get out of here." Luigi gulped nervously.

Luigi turned to leave, but Toadsworth grabbed him by the overalls to stop him.

"We can't do that, Master Luigi," Toadsworth objected. "Just looking at the ship from this distance won't help us determine if Yoshi has indeed been imprisoned by those barbaric hooligans."

"Besides, I've always wanted to see a pirate ship." Sora said excitedly.

"Why are you so excited about seeing it?" Luigi asked with narrowed eyes.

"Cause I've read about them in books and seen them on T.V.," Sora explained. "I know pirate ships can be bad, but I've just always wanted see one up close."

"Cool, you saw it, so now let's hurry up and see if Yoshi's on it." Luigi said frantically.

"We have to be careful, sirs," Toadsworth advised. "We could stir up a predicament if the pirates see us."

"Thanks for taking the time to point out the obvious my fungi friend," Luigi said. He then walked towards the ship. "Relax, I'm always care..."

All of a sudden, Luigi felt like his foot has stepped on midair. His whole body then fell forward and fell down a hole that was in the sand.

"...fuuuuuuuuuuulllllllll!" Luigi bellowed as he fell down the hole.

A second later they heard a big thud and the two worryingly ran over to the hole. They heard Luigi shouting ow as he appeared to hit something rough down below.

"Luigi, are you okay?" Sora cried as he looked down the hole.

"Just..peachy..." Luigi groaned.

The two looked in the hole to see it was about six feet deep. They saw the green clad plumber lying on a wooden object that looked strangely familiar.

"What kind of moron would leave a treasure chest..." Luigi began. He then gave the object he was on a double look. He realized that the item was in fact a treasure chest. "Leaping lasagna! A treasure chest! Do you know how many cannolis we could buy with this kind of loot?"

Sora lightly chuckled at the comment, "Uh, quite a lot, Luigi. I don't think the bakery accepts stolen goods though."

As Luigi began to respond, Sora interrupted him as he heard something in the distance.

"Hark, I hear something." Sora hushed Luigi.

Sora cupped his left ear and listened closely. He could then determine that what he heard was signing. His heartbeat slightly rose as heard the voices that were singing. They were rather groggy and rough. He knew that those were the pirates. Not only was it the voices that gave it away, but it was the choice of lyrics they were singing.

"I'll make you swab the deck and then I'll throw you in the brig," the pirates sang. "I swear I'll make you walk the plank to right the wrong you did."

Toadsworth curiously looked at Sora, "Master Sora, I can't hear as good as you, so what do you hear?"

"Pirates!" Sora exclaimed. "They're coming!"

"What?" Luigi cried in fear. "And I'm on top of their booty! Can my luck get any worse?" He then paused at what he said. "Wait, don't answer that!"

"Are you positive it is pirates?" Toadsworth asked the boy.

"Well, considering the sound of their voices and the choice of lyrics I'd think so." Sora replied a bit frantically.

"Quick, get me out of here!" Luigi panicked. "I don't want to walk the plank or listen to their singing with the fowl stench of rum in their mouths!"

"Roger!" Sora complied.

Sora quickly got onto his stomach and slid his upper body forward into the hole. He then extended his hand towards the plumber who in return grabbed the boy's hand. Sora then used all of his strength and pulled Luigi right out of the hole. As he got Luigi out, the trio heard the voices getting closer.

"The day you mess with Skurvy..arr...you'll wish you're never born," the pirates sang. Their voices started getting closer. "When the world's heart is mine then you'll feel the pirate scorn!"

Luigi stood up and began to leave, but Sora stopped him by grabbing his arm.

"Now what?" Luigi groaned. "Let's get out of here!"

"We still need to see if Yoshi is here," Sora pointed out. "I'm not leaving until I know he's not present."

Luigi nodded in agreement. He was just as worried about Yoshi as Sora was. Both he and Sora would fight through a swarm of crocodiles just to see that Yoshi was okay. He was their friend, and they'd never in a lifetime turn their back on a friend.

"Let's try and eavesdrop on these guys," Sora instructed. "They might tell us if Yoshi is here or not."

"Good call!" Toadsworth nodded. "Quickly, let us establish a place to seclude ourselves so we won't be manifested to them." Sora and Luigi glared at Toadsworth in confusion. "It means: let's hide somewhere so we won't be apparent to them when they arrive."

"Oh." Sora and Luigi realized in unison.

The trio quickly ran around the area in search of a hiding spot. Sora noticed a giant gray bolder and quickly dove behind. Toadsworth noticed Sora going behind and joined him. Luigi aimlessly wandered around, trying to find a hiding spot. To his dismay, he couldn't find one. He began whimpering and panicking in fear. He then ran over to the boulder and ran back and forth, whispering, "What do I do? Where do I hide?" Sora then stuck his hand out and grabbed Luigi by the overalls, pulling him quickly behind the boulder.

"WAH!" Luigi cried as he got startled.

The trio slowly peaked their heads out as they saw three pirates approach the area, singing and dancing all the way. What startled them was they were anthropomorphic crocodiles. The first one of this trio of pirates was a rather large crocodile with green skin and a white underbelly. He wore a black pirates' hat and had a black strap around his neck that was a form of neck wear. The second was the shortest of the group. He had dark green skin with a gray underbelly. He was the only one who didn't wear a pirates hat. He did wear red shorts that were supported by a belt. The last member was the second largest of the group. He had red skin with a yellow underbelly. He wore a black pirates hat, a black belt, and boots for his feet.

The three pirates approached the hole where the treasure was as they finished their song.

"The day you mess with Skurvy..arr...you'll wish you're never born," they revised the last part of the song. "When the world's heart is mine then you'll feel the pirate scorn!"

The three pirates then stopped and gave hearty laughs to each other. The red one then approached the hole with the treasure chest in it.

"Avast ye, mateys!" the red one announced. "Here be our treasure that we shall now burry! We must make sure to leave an X on the map as in X marks the spot. That be the way of the pirate." He then turned to notice the small green one raising his hand in question. "What be you, Mr. Green Kroc?"

"Uh, Captain Skurvy," Green Kroc spoke up. "Why does we leave an X on the spot?"

"Why does we leave an X on the spot?" Skurvy began to answer.

He then gave Green Kroc the double look. How could he not know why?

He then shouted angrily, "Why does we leave an X on the spot?"

"Well, why not we use an A or a Q on the spot?" Green Kroc asked timidly.

Skurvy could not believe what he was hearing. Why an X marks the spot was one of the most important things to learn while being a pirate. He could not believe how clueless Green Kroc was. He then turned his attention to the green one.

"Cutlass!" Skurvy called on the green one. "Tell Mr. Green Kroc over here why we be using an X."

Cutlass cleared his throat, "Ahem. Accord to section-a-six, paragraph two of-a-the pirate hand-a-book, making an-a-X takes a lot less-a-effort, and it also distinguishably shows that the treasure rightfully-a-belongs and shall be-a-dug up by ill-gotten means with includes-a-pirate or thief in the name...sir."

"So there be your answer Mr. Green Kroc Smarty-Boots." Skurvy said. "Now not another word."

"But an 'i' takes a lot less effort..." Green Kroc debated.

"ARE YOUR EARS FULL OF COTTON, SAILOR?" Skurvy roared at his shipmate. "Hurry up and burry that there treasure!"

Meanwhile, Sora and Luigi were lightly snickering to each other at witnessing the pirates.

"Boy, these sure are some dumb pirates." Sora snicked.

"Yeah," Luigi nodded in agreement. "I even doubt these three knuckleheads have Yoshi. In fact, the only thing these bumbling pirates could catch is a fish."

Toadsworth lightly chortled at Luigi's comments. The royal steward was completely unaware that a crab had slowly approached him from behind. It's claws were snapping away as it eye its target...Toadsworth's stubby little foot. It slowly approached his foot and opened its claw, ready to snap at it. The crab brought its sharp claw down into Toadsworth's foot. The elder felt a sharp needle stab his foot. The pain caused him to scream and leap right onto the rock. This caught the attention of the three pirates, who quickly snapped their heads towards Toadsworth.

Sora and Luigi gasped as they realized their cover was blown.

"Oh, snap!" Sora cursed.

Luigi rose his eyebrow in quirk at Sora's reaction.

"Oh, snap?" Luigi asked. "That's it, no more original Disney shows for you."

The three pirates got angry at realizing someone was spying on them.

"Shiver me timbers!" Skurvy exclaimed. "There's a fungus among us!"

Toadsworth nervously chuckled, "Well...yes...technically I am a member of the fungi family."

"Shut yer blowhole, old timer!" threatened Green Kroc as he took out a pirate sword. "How dare ye speak in front of the great Captain Skurvy!"

"Now...now..let's not be judgmental, sirs," gulped Toadsworth while frantically waving his hands. "I..don't..mean any harm."

"Oh?" Skurvy scoffed. "That's what ye want's us to think. I bet ye has come to steal our booty."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Toadsworth said defensively. "Please, you won't hurt an old man, would you?"

"Funny, that's what me grandpappy said before I made him walk the plank," Skurvy lightly chuckled. Toadsworth gulped at the comment. "No one dares comes across me and lives to tell the tale." He then commanded his men to grab him.

Before they could move, Sora and Luigi leaped out from behind the rock with their weapons drawn.

"Not so fast, scum buckets!" Sora cried heroically. "You have to go through us first!"

Toadsworth sighed with relief as his two friends came to his rescue.

"Thank goodness." Toadsworth said as he relaxed onto the boulder.

"Ah, so I see ye had a crew to spy on us!" Skurvy snarled. "How dare you even step a foot before the great Captain Skurvy."

"Well, we dare," Sora said bravely. "We're not going to let our pals get hurt because of some sea scum."

"Arr, you flatter us, lad," Skurvy grinned teasingly. "That you do, but flattery will not save ye from us. I bet you land lovers have also come to claim what is rightfully my birthright, the Crystal Coconut."

"Crystal Coconut?" Luigi inquired.

"That is right me moustache friend," said Skurvy with a hearty laugh. "The Crystal Coconut was stolen be me great-great grandpappy and to this day belongs to my generation. I'd kill even a brother or sister if they dare think they are worthy of it, and I pity the landlubber shark bait what tries to stop me. If my..ow!"

He felt a sharp pain within his mouth. One of his teeth have been irritating for the past week and it started hurting like a thousand needles invaded his mouth. He places his hand on his mouth to ease the pain.

"On my honor.." Skurvy thrived to continue. "Ow! I swear on the great, great, great pirate oath...ouch! To grant any favor to the swamp-sucking, sea-scum scalawag that can rid me of this...ow...painful toothache!"

"Okay, well first off: why not try using a little device called a toothbrush," Luigi said sarcastically. "That usually prevents the pain and secondly; let me make this clear; pirates don't have honor. They're just a bunch of smelly, rotten, no good bums who like to loot stuff."

"The scourge scums of the seven seas." agreed Sora.

"Aye, there be no more fearsome scourge scum than I," Skurvy said. "But the pirate oath is a pure and sacred thing, mates. Me great-great-grandpappy taught me that right after he stole the crystal coconut. So, I've come to claim it, so then we pirates can do what we do best, steal booty! And you skurvy dogs are going to be punished for your transactions here."

"Punished?" Luigi said startled. "Wasn't that whole monologue about the pirate oath and your honor punishment enough?"

Skurvy became furious upon hearing that. No one, and he meant no one made fun of his monologue.

"Grr...you will pay for that, whale bait!" Skurvy snarled at the plumber.

"Nice going, Luigi," Sora groaned. "Way to get them on their good side."

"How was I suppose to know he'd get touchy about it?" Luigi snapped at Sora.

"Now, if you want to see the light of day, then I challenge ye to a duel!" Skurvy demanded.

Luigi gulped nervously, "O-okay, we'll start out with eight thousand lifepoints. Just promise no beat downs or Exodia decks!"

"That's not what I meant, you barnacle brain!" Skurvy shouted angrily.

Luigi quickly ran behind the stone in fear and peaked his head from the top of it. Cutlass threw his sword to Captain Skurvy, who caught it and pointed it at Sora.

"I challenge the captain of yer crew to a real duel," Skurvy addressed Sora. "The loser will be sent to Davy Jones Locker."

"Me?" Sora recoiled.

Luigi turned to Toadsworth, "Toadsworth, I'm not all caught up with my pirate terminology. What does it mean when someone is sent to Davy Jones Locker?"

"It means..." Toadsworth slowly stated. "Sent to their grave."

Luigi stuttered in fear, "Di-did you have to say g-grave?"

Sora would've accepted the offer, but he realized that it was a complete waste of their time. They could tell that Yoshi wasn't present with the pirates. That would mean he had to be in the jungle and they had no time to waste.

"Forget it, Skurvy," Sora rejected. "I don't have time to deal with you. A friend of mine is out there and I'm not wasting five minutes with you three dirt bags."

"Oh?" Skurvy responded with a look of a raised eyebrow. "I have to admit you've got a lot of spunk to stand up to me, lad, but no one escapes a pirate without a fight. In fact, we pirates have ways of making ye comply to me duel."

"And how are you going to do that?" Sora asked with a confident smirk.

"Well, your crew don't appear to be in such fine shape." chuckled the pirate mercilessly.

Sora knew that the crew he was referring to was Luigi and Toadsworth. Turning around, he noticed that Cutlass has picked both of them up by the shirt collars and was holding onto them tightly. The two were dangling in the air, struggling to realize the big pirates grip. Green Kroc stood next to his shipmate and was viciously snickering along with Cutlass.

"Luigi! Toadsworth!" Sora gasped in shock.

"Hey, let us go, fatso!" Luigi demanded. "Help! Where's Steve Irwin when you need him?"

"He is currently in that great crocodile hunting place in the sky," Toadsworth answered. "He died a few months ago."

"Whoa! Seriously?" Luigi exclaimed with widen eyes.

"Enough!" Skurvy shouted. "Now, what be you, lad?"

Sora, regretfully had no choice in the matter. In order to free his friends, he had to fight. Yoshi would have to wait to be rescued. Sora drew his keyblade and stood ready to battle.

"Fine! You win!" Sora sighed in defeat. "Just promise to let my friends go!"

"Only if you win, lad." Skurvy said as he prepared his sword.

The two stood at opposite ends with their eyes heavily locked onto each other. They didn't say another word as they were about ready to fight. Skurvy's crew and Sora's group watched in anticipation as they were waiting for the fight to start. As the fight was about to begin, Cutlass felt something lightly tapping his shoulder. He ignored it at first, thinking it was a fly, but then it tapped him harder. He then turned to his accomplice.

"What-a-is it?" Cutlass asked Green Kroc.

"What is what?" Green Kroc replied in confusion.

"Didn't you just-a-tap me on the shoulder?" questioned the big pirate.

"I didn't." the little pirate denied with a shake of his head.

"Really?" Cutlass questioned. "Then who..."

The two pirates felt as if someone was watching them. They could feel something slowly breath down their necks, as it was waiting to attack them. The two pirates turned around and what they saw caused them to gasp in horror.

"Oh, no!" the pirates cried. "Not you!"

Sora was about to make the first move when he stumbled back from hearing someone.

"Bananaaa Slamma!" cried a male voice.

Sora turned to see the two pirates were flying right at him, screaming all the way. Sora quickly dove onto his stomach just in time to miss them. The two pirates went crashing into Skurvy who was ready to run for the hills. Sora quickly stood back up and turned to see who did that. What he saw caused his jaw to drop. Behind him was a giant ape with brown fur and he had a tan underbelly. The only piece of clothing he wore was a red necktie, which had the words, "D.K." imprinted on it in bold yellow.

The three pirates groaned from the dizziness they felt from running into each other. The three shook their heads off and turned to face the giant ape. From the enraged looks on their faces, Sora could tell they knew this ape.

"Donkey Kong!" Skurvy growled angrily. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, me and my little buddy Diddy were helping ourselves to some delicious bananas when we saw you three causing trouble," Donkey Kong explained. He then cracked his knuckles "Besides, I could use a little kremling bashing right about now."

"Arr, you shall be the one bashed, you stupid simian!" Skurvy said angrily as he got a handheld cannon out "I'll blast yew and you're crew to the bottom of the sea."

"A handheld cannon, huh?" Luigi lightly chuckled. "Now that's the kinda firearm you wouldn't see on an anime dubbed by 4kids."

The two other pirates joined their captain, ready to fight against the trio. Toadsworth quickly took shelter by a tree as Sora and Luigi ran over to join their new ally. Sora looked up at the ape and smiled. He didn't know where he came from, but Sora was more than relieved to know he was on their side.

"Hey, thanks for helping my friends." Sora smiled appreciative.

"Hey, no problem," Donkey Kong smiled. "Just doin' what I do best. These three pirates are nothing but trouble."

"Mind if we join you in beating these slimy crocodiles?" Luigi asked.

"Hey, any enemy of them is a friend of mine," Donkey Kong smirked. "Sure, let's kick some butt."

The two groups stood ready to face off with one another. It was then that Luigi and Donkey Kong became mercy of the cards, as well as Cutlass and Green Kroc. Sora charged for Skurvy, holding the handles of the keyblade tightly. Skurvy fired the cannon, sending a strong and powerful bullet at Sora. The key bearer quickly rolled out of the way of the attack and kept running towards the pirate. Skurvy fired yet another bullet, but Sora leaped over the attack and quickly brought the keyblade down on the cannon.

Skurvy scarcely blocked the attack horizontally as Sora brought the blade down on it. The two struggled with each other for the moment until Skurvy turned around and tripped the boy with his tail. Sora fell down and landed right on the ground. Skurvy that placed the cannon right at Sora's face.

"Say your prays, bilge rat!" Skurvy grinned evilly.

The pirate slowly pulled the trigger, but before it fired Sora quickly and sharply titled his head right. Just as he did, the gun fired the bullet out. Sora then quickly kicked the gun high into the air, knocking Skurvy off guard. Sora quickly stood back up and slashed the pirate right across the chest. Skurvy slightly slid backwards from the blow and held his chest in pain. Skurvy grabbed a sword from the ground and charged at Sora.

Sora looked up to notice the cannon was spinning back down and the boy brought his left foot back and swiftly kicked the cannon at Skurvy as it reached his leg level. The cannon flew right at Skurvy and hit him hardly in the stomach. Skurvy fell down from the blow and lightly winced in pain. Sora quickly ran at Skurvy and tried to stab his chest while he was on the floor. Skurvy took wind of this and quickly rolled out of the way of the attack. Sora turned to where he rolled and brought his blade down vertically. This time, Skurvy horizontally blocked the attack. Sora continued to bang the keyblade onto Skurvy's sword as he stood up. Sora gave a thrust, but Skurvy moved his head left. As he did , he horizontally struck at Sora who moved his chest backwards.

Sora then swatted at his face by using the keyblade as a baseball bat, but Skurvy vertically put the blade up to block it. The two struggled in this position for a minute until the two jumped back. The two then ran forward towards each other again. Skurvy horizontally swatted at Sora, but the boy jumped into the air and brought the blade down again. Skurvy quickly rolled out of the way to avoid the attack. He then stood up in a kneeled position. Sora charged again and prepared to strike Skurvy again. Skurvy stood back up and ran at him as well. The two blade's collided with each other followed by a loud clang. Sora tried to thrust again, but this time Skurvy spun around Sora and elbowed him in the back, knocking him down.

As Sora fell down, he quickly caught himself with his hands and he bounced right back up. As he landed up and turned to face Skurvy he ducked from another swipe of Skurvy's sword. Sora tried to kick at the pirate, but Skurvy grabbed the bottom of Sora's leg and threw him right at a tree with all of his strength. Sora spun like a ball into the tree and landed right on the tree in a crouched position. As he looked up, he saw another bullet come right at him. Sora quickly leaped off of the tree as the bullet hit it, giving the tree a giant hole in it with black smoke coming out of it.

Sora charged for Skurvy again, as the pirate noticed a card bouncing around. Picking it up, he held it right out and called for Green Kroc to come out. A blinding light covered Skurvy for a minute. The light was so strong, that Sora shielded his eyes. As the light dimmed, Sora saw that Green Kroc had appeared before him. Sora looked left and saw a Luigi card bouncing around. The boy quickly picked up and called for Luigi to come out. The plumber appeared before the boy wearing a yellow cape on his back.

"Hey, kid," Luigi greeted his friend. "I'm ready for action."

Sora approvingly nodded for Luigi to carry on. The plumber flew quickly at Green Kroc and rammed him right in the chest with his body. The two then went crashing into another tree and flew out into the ocean. Giant waves trailed behind from the powerful impact. The two then fell right into the water. Green Kroc started floating slowly down while Luigi went through his pocket and took out a giant green frog suit.

"_Heheheh, it always pays to have power-ups that can shrink or grow on command." _Luigi thought.

Luigi quickly put on the frog suit and transformed into Frog Luigi. In this form, Luigi could swim a hundred times better than before. He swam quickly at Green Kroc and punched him in the face with both fists. Luigi then quickly swam behind him at unimaginable speeds and hit him in the back with his head. He then swam away again and swam back, punching at his side. Luigi made a big turn around and swam right back at him. Green Kroc focused this time and tried to swat him with his sword, but Luigi effortlessly ducked under it and then swam back up, ramming his head into the jaw. The strong impact sent Green Kroc right out of the water.

Luigi quickly took off the frog suit and pulled out a feather. The feather then started to glow brightly. It continued to glow brighter and brighter until Luigi wasn't seeable any more. As the light dimmed, Luigi was once again in his cape form. The plumber then got out of the water and flew into the air. He looked up to see Green Kroc falling right towards him. Luigi clinched his left fist tightly as he prepared for a strong punch. He could feel his hand getting warmer and warmer until it was practically burning. Amazingly, this barely affected Luigi. His fist started glowing a light green color as energy was being transferred into it. Finally, as Green Kroc came down to his level, Luigi rammed his first right into the pirate's stomach.

Green Kroc could feel Luigi's fist push so far into his body that he was about to rip it. He coughed up a tiny bit of blood from such a hard blow. The pain was simply unbearable. He couldn't even breath. The pirate then went flying across the ocean, and back onto the land. As he fell down, he disappeared from the area, becoming a card again. As Luigi flew back, he too vanished and turned into a card. Skurvy growled angrily from Green Kroc's rather quick defeat.

"Arr..that scrawny little runt got lucky," Skurvy complained. "That be all."

"He may not look like much, but Luigi can be major butt kicker when in battle." Sora disagreed.

"Arr, well let's see yew get pass this." Skurvy viciously grinned as he held another card.

"Let me guess; another one of your little friends is coming out to play?" said Sora with a cocky grin.

"Well, lad, ye won't be smiling once he pounds you to pieces." Skurvy said as he held the card high into the air.

The card shined brightly, which once again caused Sora to shield his eyes. As the light dimmed, he gasped to see Cutlass charging for him. Sora stood his ground as the giant pirate got closer and closer. The pirate then slammed his sword vertically down on the key bearer. Sora quickly rolled under the pirate's legs, dodging the attack. Sora quickly leaped back up and shot a fierce blizzard spell at Cutlass. The attack hit his back, which caused him to shiver from the freezing impact. Sora then quickly leaped onto the giant's shoulders and began riding him by tightly wrapping his arms around the pirate's neck. Cutlass tried desperately to get Sora off him by jerking his body.

Sora was having a lot fun riding around the giant crocodile's back.

"Crikey, mate!" Sora mocked in an Australian accent. "She's a tough one, but it ain't nothing I can't handle!" Cutlass then began jumping up and down. "Whoa, Nelly!"

Enraged by Sora ridiculing him, Cutlass angrily grabbed the boy by the shirt collar and threw him right into a stone. Luckily, Sora's back hit the stone instead of his face. The pain was still devastating from a hard impact of the back. Sora fell onto the floor and weakly tried to get back up. He was in crippling pain; he felt like every bone in his back crumbled right into dust. Luckily, no bones were broken, but it still hurt. The pirate gleefully laughed and charged for the now defenseless Sora.

"Gracious, Master Sora!" Toadsworth cried in terror. "Look out!"

Sora weakly looked up to see Cutlass running right at him with a blood thirsty glare of death. The boy quickly looked right and saw a Donkey Kong card next to him. Sora grabbed it quickly and held it up to call his new ally into the battle. The light shined brightly as the key bearer held the card up in the air, causing Cutlass to cover his eyes. All of a sudden, he felt something grab his neck and pull him up into the air. Cutlass grabbed onto a giant brown arm that was holding up. That arm belong to none other than Donkey Kong. The powerful primate used his superhuman like strength to hold the giant pirate in the air. Cutlass nervously gulped, knowing he was in big trouble.

"Um, this is-a-gonna hurt, huh?" Cutlass realized nervously.

DK lightly grinned, "Pretty much."

DK then clenched his fist tightly and threw a hard punch at Cutlass while shouting out his famous catchphrase. The force from the blow sent Cutlass high into the sky. DK leaped into the air and hammered Cutlass in the back, sending him right into the ground. DK then landed on top of him and grabbed his leg and began to bend it backwards like a wrestler would do. DK kept moving back and forth, applying pain to the pirate who was screaming in agony. Sora slightly winced at watching that.

"Arr..please-a-mate...have-a-mercy," Cutlass pleaded. "Please!"

All of a sudden the two disappeared back into their card forms. Skurvy put his hands on his hips and sighed in defeat with a shake of his head.

"If you can't get the job done, then do it yourself." Skurvy sighed.

"Your lackeys were already trounced by my friends, so now it's my turn to kick your butt." Sora cried bravely as he gripped his keyblade tightly.

"Oh, and how ye being doing that?" Skurvy lightly grinned.

Sora smirked as he tapped three of his cards together and his keyblade began glowing a yellow color. Sora ran forward at an incredibly fast rate and slashed Skurvy right across the chest. The scaly pirate couldn't even get a block in as Sora rapidly slashed right across the captain's body with a deadly combo. The first slash was an uppercut across the chest, followed by a downward slash, then a left slash across the chest, then a right slash across, then Sora did a four way slash going up and down. The boy then finished the combo by doing a front flip and slashing Skurvy across with a downward slash so powerful, that he went flying across the area and landed right in the water.

It was at that moment that the battle was over. Sora was the victor of the battle as Luigi and Donkey Kong reappeared next to the key bearer while Skurvy's crew appeared next to him. The two helped Skurvy up who was stumbling to his feet. Sora's group stood ready to take an offensive action in case the pirates would attack again, but they were worn out from being thrashed by the trio.

"Arr...they're...too...strong...captain.." Cutlass panted.

"Well..mates...I have a suggestion about what to do." Green Kroc said nervously.

"What that be?" Skurvy asked hopefully.

Cutlass nervously made his suggestion, "Parley?"

The two other pirates smacked their foreheads in unison for their shipmate's dry suggestion.

"No!" Skurvy bellowed at him. "We're pirates! We'll fight till the end of time!"

DK made his famous big grin, "Care to surrender?"

"Never!" Skurvy retaliated angrily.

DK then pulled out a hollow log that was in the shape of a gun.

"Maybe I can't, but my coconut gun will!" DK said with a threatening stare.

"That little toy of your's won't help stop us." Skurvy laughed heartily.

"But maybe this will!" called a high pitched male voice.

All of a sudden, a bunch of peanuts came flying at the pirates and rapidly hit them all around. The pirates tried urgently to get away from them, but they ended up running into each other and falling down. Sora and Luigi, a bit confused by what hit them started laughing anyways at the pirates. Donkey Kong then looked up at the sky and gave a thumbs up.

"Great timing, little buddy!" DK cheered.

Sora looked up to notice a small brown chimp flying in the air, wearing a red sleeveless shirt and a red baseball cap. The chimp was flying because a wooden barrel was strapped to his back and it had a tail of fire coming out from behind it. He was using it as a jet pack of sorts. In his hands were two small wooden pistols made from a tree. The small chimp then landed next to the big ape and took his jet pack off. He then turned to DK and gave him a high five.

"Hey, DK, I got here as soon as I could," the chimp greeted him. "Just needed to find a jet pack and some ammo for my peanut pistols."

Luigi raised an eyebrow at the ridicules firearms, "Okay, peanut pistols and coconut guns? Now that's the kind of firearms they'd replace real ones with on an anime done by 4kids."

"Luigi, please, no more 4kids jokes right now." Sora sighed slightly annoyed.

"Whatever you say Sola..uh...I mean..Sora." Luigi snickered.

Sora just rolled his eyes at the plumber. The three pirates were still not going to let Donkey Kong and his new found friends win. The three charged with their weapons towards the four heros. Donkey Kong then got his coconut gun into position, carefully eyeing his target; Captain Skurvy. He then pulled the trigger on the bottom and sent a giant coconut right at the pirates. The coconut moved so fast, that the pirates barely had time to react from it firing. The coconut then hit Skurvy right in the jaw, knocking him over. The force from the hit was so strong, that the pirate even spat out a tooth which hit the ground. Toadsworth gasped as he noticed it.

"I say, you knocked out the old bean's tooth!" Toadsworth exclaimed while adjusting his reading glasses.

Skurvy stood up and angrily growled at DK.

"Why you..." Skurvy began. He then realized that the sharp aching pain he had to endure for weeks was finally gone. For once, he could finally be at ease. He then let out a big smile. "Hey, my toothache is gone. Arr. Well, blow me down! Ha, ha, har! And shiver me timbers! Maybe today is turning out to be a good villain day after all!"

"Hold on, paesano!" Luigi interrupted. "According to your great, great, great..." As he said the next two words, he put his hands on each side of his face and made the peace sign on each hand. He then slowly wiggled them inward and outward. "...pirate oath, you owe the big guy a favor for knocking your tooth out."

Skurvy's jaw dropped in shock. Luigi was right. He owed the giant ape a favor.

"N..no..no, no," Skurvy stuttered in protest. "I'd be walking the plank before..."

"No, no, no," Sora intervened with a wise guy grin. "We heard you say it loud and clear. You said, 'I swear on the great, great, great, pirate oath...'"

Skurvy interrupted him in defeat, "Okay, okay, lad. You win. To tell you the truth I can't bares to hear that speech again." He then turned to Donkey Kong. "You be lucky, Donkey Kong. Since you knocked out me tooth I can grant you any request you want."

"Seriously?" DK asked excitedly.

"Aye," Skurvy confirmed. "Name your booty, Donkey Kong."

Donkey Kong then squealed in delight, "Ooh, well, I was looking through the new monkey bar's catalog..."

The chimp quickly called out to him.

"DK, why not just request for the pirates to leave..." Diddy began.

"Good thinking, Diddy," DK said as he liked the idea. Before Diddy could get another word in, he turned back to the pirates. "I want you three to take your ship and leave this island for a whole week."

"A week?" Diddy hooted in shock. "Why didn't you say forever?"

DK turned to his friend with a scratched head, "Oh, I don't know. Guess I wasn't thinking."

Diddy made an exasperated sigh. While he was best friends with the giant ape, sometimes DK could be a little bit on the slow side slow.

"For you that doesn't seem very hard." Luigi muttered to himself.

"Very well, Donkey Kong," Skurvy laughed. "I kept my word about the oath...so a week it shall be! After that, me crew and I shall return to claim what's rightfully mine...the Crystal Coconut. Enjoy this short lived victory while you can because as a pirate I vows to come back because that's what pirates do."

All three of them then clamored together, "Steal booty!"

Skurvy then took a card out and threw it to Sora.

"I don't know why, lad, but apparently this card belongs to you." Skurvy said.

Sora caught the card in his hand and looked at it. He noticed it was another golden card, meaning it lead to another room. Sora placed the card in his pocket and watched as the three pirates retreated back to their ship. Luigi and Toadsworth then joined Sora who sighed with relief that the pirates were gone.

"Suffering spaghetti," Luigi groaned. "Can't we ever enter a world without running into trouble?"

"At least we're free of those hooligans for now." Toadsworth said.

"Sorry about those three," said Diddy. The trio turned to them. "Skurvy and his gang of pirates love to cause trouble on Kongo Bongo."

"Heh, don't worry about it," Sora said optimistically. "We run into bad guys all the time." He then turned to DK. "And by the way, you're really strong!"

DK blushed, "Aw, well, it's nothing. As the future ruler of Kongo Bongo, you need keep in top physical form."

"Future ruler?" Luigi asked curiously.

"It's a long story," Diddy shook his head. "Basically it revolves around that crystal coconut we were talking about."

"Oh," Sora understood. "I see."

DK then approached the group

"I've never seen you three before," DK said. "You new around here?"

Toadsworth nodded, "Indeed we are. You see we are in the middle of looking for a dear friend of ours."

"Yeah," Sora said sadly, remembering Yoshi. He then looked up at DK hopefully. "Hey, you wouldn't have happened to see him, would you?"

"Is he as funny looking as you three?" DK inquired.

Luigi became offended upon hearing that, "Funny looking!"

DK sheepishly rubbed his head, "Ooh, sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Toadsworth said. "Anyways, he's a young dinosaur with green skin and he has a red saddle on his back."

Diddy and DK looked at each other with shocked looks. They knew someone who matched that very description. In fact, they had a feeling that Sora's group were the ones they were looking for.

"Hey, your names wouldn't happen to be Sora, Luigi, and Toadsworth?" Diddy asked them.

The trio's faces lit up upon hearing that. The realized then and there that these two must've crossed paths with Yoshi. The trio finally felt more at ease, knowing that Yoshi was here, but they needed to make sure he was safe.

"Yeah, that's us!" said Sora excitedly. "That means Yoshi told you those names, so you've met him then!"

"Not only met him, but he's the reason we're in a bit of a tight banana." DK said upset with crossed arms.

Sora felt a little worried. Was something wrong with Yoshi? Was he in trouble? All of these thoughts ran through his mind rapidly. If something happened to Yoshi, Sora could never forgive himself. Since he was the one who started this whole mess, he knew had to make things right. While it's true that Yoshi's will chose to get the pendant, Sora lost it in the first place. This experience taught Sora to keep a more closer eye on items of important value. If you lost that, you could lose your friends, and he was not willing to lose Yoshi or Kairi.

"Tell me, where is he?" Luigi asked in panic as he grabbed Diddy by the shoulders. He then shook the poor chimp. "Is he hurt? Is he safe? Answer me!"

Diddy felt dizzy from his head being jerked back and forth rapidly. He could barely get a word in by it.

"Luigi!" Sora shouted at the plumber. "Maybe if ya stop shaking him we could find out where Yoshi is!"

Luigi let go of Diddy, "Oh, right."

"Ugh! My head." Diddy groaned.

DK placed his hand on Diddy's back in comfort.

"You okay, little buddy?" DK asked concerned.

Diddy then say on sat on rock.

"I'll be okay," Diddy said a little unease. "You better tell them what happened."

"Sure," DK accepted the request. He then turned to Sora's group. "You see, it happened today. Diddy and I were watching over the Crystal Coconut like we normally do. So, all of a sudden I get hungry and say, 'hey little buddy, let's go get some banana cream pies.'"

"Of course I told DK that we can't because Cranky told us to specifically watch over it," Diddy groaned. "But of course, DK responded by saying..." He then imitated DK. "..aw don't worry little buddy. The coconut won't go anywhere if we leave it for just a few minutes." He then spoke normally. "So, we left and got a couple of banana cream pies."

"Mm," DK said pleasurably. "They were so good. That creamy whipped cream; the scrumptious taste of those fruity bananas."

Luigi's stomach started growling from hearing DK talk about food.

"Ooh," Luigi said as he grabbed his stomach. "Stop talking about food. You're making me hungry for some meat sauce."

"Focus, buddy," Diddy giggled. "You're trailing off about bananas again."

DK sheepishly chuckled, "Oh, right. Anyways, so the two of us return to Cranky's lab to find it in ruin."

"Who's Cranky?" asked Sora curiously.

"My grandpa and the smartest Kong in all of Kongo Bongo," DK explained. "He is usually in his lab all day doing all sorts of sciencey things."

"Boy, uh, he has a real large vocabulary, doesn't he?" Luigi whispered to Sora.

"So, then, we saw his lab in ruin," Diddy continued. "What's worse is that the crystal coconut was absent from it's usual hiding spot. We then saw this little green dinosaur wandering around the room. We believed he was the one who ruined the lab by crashing into it."

"Let me guess what happened next," Luigi groaned. "He ate the coconut, didn't he?"

DK gasped in surprise, "How did you know?"

Luigi crossed his arms and spoke with a duh tone.

"Hello, we've known him forever. He eats anything." Luigi said with a duh tone. He then sighed. "That kid; why does he have to eat everything he sees? Does ever listen to me when I tell him not to eat things that look strange? No!"

"So, he ate this crystal coconut, huh?" Sora said. "Well, can't you just wait for it to fully digest?"

Diddy shook his head, "Well, we looked up info on if the Crystal Coconut ever got digested and we found out that it can't properly digest in the body. A special type of flower can free it from the individuals body."

"If I may ask, where can we find this flower?" Toadsworth asked intrigued.

Diddy took his hat off and pulled out a flower that had red pedestals and a red stem.

"We already took care of that part," DK explained "This is the torow-torow flower. We just have to mix it with a few ingredient back at the lab and then the one who ate the coconut eats it. Then, the cocoanut should pop right out of the mouth of the individual."

"And when we went looking for it, your friend told us to keep our eyes peeled for you three." Diddy concluded.

The trio gave a big sigh of relief. They were glad to know that Yoshi was perfectly safe, and they would get the coconut out of him. Sora was also very relieved to know that Kairi's star pendant was also out of harms way.

"Man, we owe a lot to you guys then," Sora said expressing his gratitude. "He's still at the lab right?"

"Well he promised to stay put until we got back," Diddy replied. A worried look then came over his face and he turned to DK. "DK, we should probably hurry and get back!"

"Aw, why so fast?" DK moaned. "Don't you know it's at that point in the day where the bananas taste the best?"

"I know that, DK," Diddy replied nervously. "But if we don't get back soon before Cranky does, we're gonna be in big trouble."

"Aw, relax little buddy," DK assured Diddy. "We'll be absolutely fine. Besides, Cranky took a two hour nap, so that means we'll get back there even before..."

All of a sudden, everyone got startled by hearing a very loud and grouchy, but elderly voice screaming all the way from within the jungle.

"DONKEY KONG!!!" the voice screamed. "GET YOUR HAIRY HIDE OVER HERE THIS INSTANT!!"

DK winced upon hearing that command. He knew that he and Diddy were in big trouble now.

"Wow, for an old guy he has a powerful voice." Sora commented in amazement.

"Told ya, DK!" Diddy panicked. "Now we're in big trouble!"

"Look, we'll back you guys up," Sora smiled. "Don't worry."

"Hey, thanks," DK said. "And from the looks of things you could use a guide through the jungle. So, I'll offer my strength to you guys in battle."

"Right," Sora nodded. "Thanks again...uh..what's your name?"

"Name's Donkey Kong," DK introduced himself. "And this is my little buddy Diddy Kong."

"Nice to meetchya." Diddy said.

"Same here, kid," Luigi agreed. "Well, let's get going then. The faster we get to this lab, the less time we stay in the jungle."

"Yeah, and on the way we can get a bunch of bananas, too!" DK squealed in delight. "I just love to eat my bananas."

"Wow, he's like the healthy version of Cookie Monster." Luigi stated. "He has an obsession with bananas."

"Well, he is a primate," Toadsworth pointed out. "They are quite fond of bananas."

"Not that much." Luigi counter stated.

"And remind me, what's your name again?" DK asked the boy.

"Sora."

"Alright then, Sora!" DK said excitedly. "Let's go to Cranky's house then. Bananaaa Slamma!"

DK then ran off towards the jungle, while he left the rest behind.

"Does he always say that?" Luigi asked Diddy.

"He thinks he's a super hero," Diddy giggled. "Let him have his fun. Come on, let's get going."

Sora and the others then took off for the jungle where they knew Yoshi was waiting for them. However, little did they know that unexpected danger was also awaiting the five heros.

A/N: I've decided to post an announcement forum at the Kingdom Hearts: The Nintendo Version forum. If you need any updates on the stories' chapter process, then please visit it when you get a chance.


	9. Got to get the Coconut Back Part II

**Chapter VII: Got to get the Coconut Back Part II **

Sora and the gang made their way towards the jungle part of Kongo Bongo after contending with the pirates. On the way towards the entrance to the jungle, not a single heartless ambushed the five heros. It was quiet, Sora thought. Too quiet. His eyes were constantly shifting left and right, leaving no stone unturned. Luigi and Toadsworth were also proceeding with caution. Donkey Kong was strolling along with his pal Diddy while eating some of the island's most delicious bananas. Luigi was simply stunned by what he was seeing. How could this ape continue to eat bananas like that? So far he's eaten over twenty bananas in just five minutes and he was still going.

"Man, can't you take a breather on eating those bananas?" Luigi asked.

"I can't help it, Luigi," said DK happily. "These bananas are just so delicious I could just gobble them all up!"

"But what would happen if you ran out of bananas?" Toadsworth wondered.

Hearing that from Toadsworth caused DK to shriek in absolute fear. Run out of bananas, he thought? Bananas were a way of life for him. Without bananas, there would be no reason to even live.

"No more bananas!" DK panicked. "I couldn't live without my bananas! Those fruity yellow delights! They're a way of life for me! I wouldn't know what to do without them!" He then started to hyperventilate.

Diddy quickly took his hat off and threw it to DK.

"DK, you're hyperventilating again!" Diddy shouted. "Here, breath into my hat!"

DK took Diddy's cap and slowly breathed into it to calm down. Everyone else watched with raised eyebrows at DK's obsession with bananas. They thought that he was insane about them, but they also realized that bananas were probably the only types of food the civilized primates ate, so they could understand if DK was worried, but then again they doubted the jungle would run out of bananas. DK continued to breath into the hat until he finally calmed down. However, as he took a deep breath in to sigh, the hat flew into his mouth and got stuck between his throat. It was a tiny little cap compared to a gigantic mouth, so it could easily fit inside of it. DK started to choke on the hat, feeling the lack of air in his lungs

Everyone else got nervous upon noticing it. DK was in big trouble.

"Oh, no!" Diddy cried. "He's choking on my hat!"

Sora frantically looked around.

"Quick, who knows the Heimlich maneuver?" Sora asked worryingly

Luigi quickly ran over to DK and ran behind him. He then wrapped his arms tightly around DK's diaphragm.

"It pays to have a brother who's a part time doctor." Luigi chuckled.

Luigi then squeezed DK's diaphragm, not extremely tight to crush it, but just enough to force a powerful surge of air out, shooting the hat right of his mouth. The cap then flew into Sora's face, who winced as the saliva from DK's mouth hit him. The hat then slowly slid down his face until it landed on the ground. Sora took his hands and tried to get the salvia off of him.

"Ew!" said Sora repulsed. "Ape germs! Get them off of me!"

DK sighed slowly as he could finally breath again. Luigi released his grip and walked in front of DK to check on him.

"You okay, big guy?" Luigi asked in concern.

DK, extremely relieved thanked Luigi for helping him by picking him up and brining him into a tight bear hug.

"Thank you, Luigi," DK expressed his gratitude. "You saved my life!"

"Aw, DK, you shouldn't," Luigi responded. DK then hugged him tighter, almost squeezing his vertebrae. "No, I mean it, you shouldn't."

Toadsworth shook his head, "What disaster have I just set before us?"

Sora grinned as he got the salvia off of him, "Relax, man. I don't think any of us expected him to panic about it." He then picked up the hat and handed it to Diddy. "Come on, guys! Let's get going! Yoshi's waiting for us!"

DK dropped Luigi onto the ground and the five continued to make their way towards the jungle. Luigi rubbed his back from the slight pain he received as they continued to walk.

"Mama-mia!" Luigi moaned. "After this I think I'm going to need a chiropractor."

"I'm surprised you haven't asked for one yet throughout our entire journey." Toadsworth chortled playfully.

"Shut up!" Luigi snapped at Toadsworth.

The group continued along the sandy beach of the island without encountering a single heartless. Everything seemed peaceful...a bit too peaceful for everyone's taste. On the way to the jungle, Donkey Kong took the time to explain about how he stumbled across the crystal coconut one day inside an ancient temple. This powerful item allowed him to make a any wish he wanted. He almost immediately asked for a endless supply of bananas that also granted him super powers. The guardian of the coconut named Inka Dinka Doo then choose DK to be the future ruler of the entire jungle. In order to obtain this great responsibility, Donkey Kong must protect the Crystal Coconut from all sorts of danger for the next few years.

He then explained about his arch enemy King K. Rool and his two henchmen who were always trying to get their hands on it. King K. Rool claims that he is the rightful ruler of the island, and the only way to declare dominance over the jungle was to obtain its boundless powers. However, DK and Diddy always foiled their plans time and time again. Recently though, strange dark creatures have appeared on the island and began to harm the creatures of the jungle. Sora knew that it was the heartless that DK saw. When Sora asked what Skurvy meant when he said the coconut was his "birthright", Diddy explained that his great, great grandfather stole the coconut in the first place, so Skurvy claimed that it belonged to him.

"So they're always after it too, eh?" Sora asked. The kongs nodded. "Man, that stinks to know that you have to constantly keep an eye on that thing, knowing that any second it could disappear right before your eyes."

Sora stopped for a moment as he took a second to reflect on his words. What he was saying reminded him of Kairi's lucky charm. He promised her he would guard that thing with his life, but he almost loss it completely. While the kongs guarded the coconut for a completely different reason, he felt like he could relate to them. Sora made a mistake in letting his guard down for even a second. He promised himself that when he got the pendant pack, assuming it is with Yoshi, he would take much more consideration and care into watching it...not that he didn't already.

"Well, look at the bright side, sirs," Toadsworth pointed out. "At least you won't have to contend with those loathsome hooligans for a whole week. They are pirates after all. They steal booty."

"I'm sure pirates have other hobbies, too," Luigi said "Maybe they went to see a movie. I heard there is a good one playing. It's called Three-Hundred Spartans or something. It's perfect for them because it is rated," He then imitated a pirate. "Arggghhh!" He then laughed. "Get it? Rated arrrggghhh?"

DK scratched his head, "I don't get it."

"What do you mean you don't..." Luigi began to ask. He then sighed. "Never mind." He then turned to the others. "What about you three?"

Sora sighed, "If I had a tomato I'd throw it at you right now."

"Oh, thanks a lot, Sora." Luigi said sarcastically."

"You're welcome," Sora replied in a joking manner. "Have you ever considered buying like a book on jokes or something?"

"No way, kid," Luigi shook his head. "I don't need a book! One of my jokes did make you laugh once!"

"Which was.." Sora questioned.

"Um...you know...the one about the guy...and the..." Luigi tried to answer. "Okay, so I don't remember."

Sora grinned, "For your sake let's hope it was just the castle that took that memory away."

"Castle?" DK asked in confusion.

"Um, it's a long story." Toadsworth quickly replied.

"Listen, let's get going!" Diddy interrupted hastily. "We have to get back to the lab before Cranky losses his cool..." He then paused at what he said. "...even more!"

"Good idea, little buddy," DK nodded in agreement. "Let's go!"

The five quickly ran through the sandy beach of the island and finally arrived at the entrance to the jungle. What stumped the kongs was there was a giant white door right in front of the entrance. Sora knew that in order to proceed through this world, he needed to use his cards at the door. The key bearer walked up to the door and held one of his cards high into the air. The door reacted as usual as it sensed the cards light energy. The door then flung open, allowing the group to access it. The kongs were about to ask about the door when DK, Diddy, and Luigi disappeared from sight. Sora and Toadsworth knew that they have become mercy of the cards again.

The two bravely nodded to each other and they slowly entered the door. Upon exiting it, they noticed they were now inside the heart of the jungle. Everywhere the two looked they could see trees that were well over their heads. The boy and the mushroom noticed small gray stones were sticking around the bottom of the trees. The grass on the ground was mostly shallow, but there was just enough there for the inhabitants of the jungle to eat; if they were herbivores that is. They could hear the sounds of many different animals such as: birds squawking, tigers roaring, monkeys hooting, and they could hear a couple of snakes hissing. Toadsworth felt a bit agitated just from being here. At any given moment, a blood thirsty wild animal could just lunge itself at the royal chronicler and tear away at his flesh. He stayed as close to Sora as possible for protection.

At the same time, Sora gulped nervously; he wasn't exactly thrilled about running into the wild animals. He's learnt about jungles from his Earth Science class. He's learnt about how the animals lived, or what kind of hazards resided within the jungle. What was really keeping the spiky haired boy on his toes though was the heartless. At any given moment they could make an appearance from either within the ground or behind the trees. There were many different options that the heartless could take to assail them, so Sora had to conjecture many possible ways in which they could do so. Finally, the two heard a bush rustle behind the trees. Toadsworth quickly hid behind Sora's leg, and he slowly peeked his head out.

"M-m-master Sora," Toadsworth stuttered nervously. "What lingers behind that bush?"

"Probably a heartless," assumed Sora. "Better get back."

Toadsworth shook his head, "I immensely appreciate your safety for me, Master Sora, but I wouldn't want you to get hurt."

"Hey, thanks," Sora smiled appreciative. "But I strongly suggest you get to safety. I think things are about to get dangerous, and I don't think I could forgive myself if something happened to you. Please, don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"Well, if I must," Toadsworth sighed a bit reluctantly. "Be careful, Master Sora."

Sora gave the royal steward a thumbs up, and he slowly made his way towards the rustling bush. Toadsworth has never met anyone so caring and considerate. Sora was willing to put his own life at risk just for others. While he wish not to see Sora get hurt, he also didn't want to go against Sora's wishes. Toadsworth knew that he was no match for the heartless, but he was not the one to stand by and watch Sora get hurt...not after everything the key bearer has done. Still, he had to abide to Sora's request, so he quickly ran behind a tree. Sora moved closer and closer towards the bush; keyblade in hand. His breathing was hard and he slightly sweated nervously as he approached the bush. Slowly opening the bush, he moved his head inward and looked into it. Inside, he noticed a small chimp was munching on a piece of fruit. Sora sighed with relief, knowing it was only a small chimp. The chimp heard Sora sighs, and turned to notice him.

The chimp got frighted from witnessing the key bearer and he took off for the deepest part of the jungle. Knowing that they were safe, Sora brought his head back out and turned to tell Toadsworth that the coast was clear. However, as he did so, his face got greeted by a familiar yellow eyed creature. A Powerwild had leaped out from behind a tree and landed right on Sora's face. Toadsworth gasped in horror as the creature wrapped its body around the boy's face. Since his face was covered by the creature's chest, he couldn't see where he was going. He wandered aimlessly around the area, struggling to get the heartless off of him. The creature began to slash at the boy's face, causing him to scream in agony. He literally felt tears stream down his face from the immense pain. Finally, as the boy stumbled around, his hand felt the bark of a tree and he aroused with an idea. He boy quickly ran far back and then quickly rammed the heartless right into the tree. The heartless screeched in pain as the wood hit its back roughly.

Sora continued to ram his head into the tree until the heartless gave up from the pain, and released its grip from Sora. The Powerwild then fell right onto the ground. Sora covered his face for the moment to lessen the pain from the sharp claws of the heartless. Regardless of the pain, he knew that he needed to dispose of the heartless quickly before it could retaliate. Releasing his hands from his face, Sora called the keyblade to his hand and held onto the handle with both hands. Sora then quickly brought the blade vertically down on the heartless and stabbed it right in the chest. The creature screeched in pain as Sora dug the sharp blade in deeper. As he did this, he was blissfully unaware that another one was approaching from behind him. It slowly bent down; eyeing its target. Toadsworth took notice of this and quickly alarmed Sora.

"Master Sora!" Toadsworth cried. "Behind you!"

Sora shifted his eyes left to notice the heartless preparing for attack. Thinking quickly, Sora stabbed his blade into the current heartless he was dealing with. The second heartless then leaped into the air and was ready to pounce him. Sora then quickly did a one hundred and eighty degree turn, knocking the first heartless into the second heartless. The two creatures of darkness then went flying through the area until they crashed into a tree. Sora stood back up, only to be greeted by five more Powerwilds who managed to slide their way onto the battlefield. Sora stood ready; his keyblade gripped in both hands and his blue eyes focused on his targets. And thus, another round of heartless bashing began.

The heartless in front of him leaped into the air and brought its sharp claws down on him. The boy put his blade up vertically and well over his head. A loud clang could be heard as the sharp nails contacted the blade. Sora then used all of his weight and pushed the creature back. As he did, he glanced over his shoulder and noticed one behind him, sliding its way in on the ground in order to trip him. Sora quickly did a back flip over it and did a one handed handstand. As he did, the heartless he dodged leaped into the air to attack him. The heartless he pushed back from before also rejoined the fight and was running in with his comrade, who was right above him. While still in a one handed handstand position, Sora released a blizzard spell on the heartless in the air. The attack hit it and it turned into a block of ice which landed and crushed the one underneath it. Sora then pushed himself off and spun around so that he was facing the other way.

As he landed in a squatted position, another one tackled him right to the ground. The creature then swatted him right at his face, but Sora jolted his head left and quickly punched the creature right in the face. Sora's powerful punch knocked it right off of him and sent it sliding across the floor. Sora quickly kicked himself up and brought his blade vertically down on the heartless, finishing it off. Two more heartless came at him from behind, but Sora turned around and while holding the keyblade in his right hand he horizontally slashed both creatures of darkness right into dust. He thought he was out of danger as he stood up and brushed himself off. However, the battle has only begun. A coconut hit Sora right on the head, causing him to wince in pain. He slightly staggered back from the feeling, but he quickly shook his to recover. He looked up to see seven Powerwilds in giant trees throwing a seemingly endless supply of coconuts. Another one came at him, but Sora jerked his chest left to avoid it. Sora quickly ran through the hoard of coconuts flying at him. Sora used his keyblade to slash most of the coconuts that came at him. Some flew right by his face. Some required him to duck under and move his body around. At one point, three of the powerwilds in the trees grabbed a handful and threw them right at him.

Sora quickly spun his keyblade around like a fan by first jerking his wrist and then releasing the blade for the moment, causing every coconut that came in contact with it to cut into shreds. Sora could feel the milky juice hit his face. He even licked the coconut milk that was on his lips, and he found it rather tasty. Another coconut came at him, but Sora quickly leaped left and landed on the right side of a tree, with his left hand holding onto a branch to support him. He noticed another coconut coming at him from a tree right a cross him and the boy quickly leaped off of it, just avoiding the coconut. He quickly leaped over to the heartless that just threw the coconut at him. Sora flew through the air, slashing away coconuts the heartless desperately threw at him, but the boy managed to land on the branch in a crouched position where the heartless was. He then quickly slashed it away with his keyblade. Sora noticed two more heartless in trees on either side of him. The two gathered their coconuts and threw it right at the boy. The coconuts were coming at him quickly from either side of him. He noticed the coconut coming from the right was thrown at an earlier time then the one from the left. Sora quickly formulated a plan, and grabbed the right one that came at him. He then stood up on the branch of the tree and threw the coconut high into the air. He then leaped off of the branch, just missing the coconut that came in from the left. The left coconut then flew into the heartless on the right, knocking it off the branch.

Sora then flew passed the coconut he just thrown, and he quickly lined up a shot with the heartless on the tree that was right in front of him. He then fiercely kicked the coconut right into the Powerwild, knocking it right off the tree. Sora then dove down towards the tree the heartless he just hit was on and grabbed the branch with both hands. He then released his grip on the branch and leaped down onto the ground, with both feet hitting the ground. As he looked up, he gasped to see more coconuts coming at him. He quickly ran behind a tree to get away from the flying coconuts. He panted slightly as the coconuts hit the tree he was hiding behind. Turning his head right, he saw a Donkey Kong card and grabbed it. He then held it high into the air and called DK.

"DK!" Sora cried. "Help!"

The future ruler of Kongo Bongo then appeared next to the boy with a confident grin.

"Hey, Sora," DK greeted him. "What's up?"

"Think you can give me a hand?" Sora asked hopefully.

DK then stuck out his hand towards Sora.

"Here you go, Sora!" DK smiled helpfully.

Sora slumped his face.

"That's NOT what I was implying, DK," Sora groaned. "I mean, can you help me take care of these guys."

DK itched his cheek with his index finger in embarrassment.

"Oh, oops," DK grinned nervously. "My bad. Of course I'll help you out, little buddy. Let's rock and roll!"

Sora and DK both nodded to each other and ran into the battle field. Sora ran into the battle again with DK right behind him as the coconuts came at them. Sora slashed coconuts that came at him, while DK swatted the coconuts that came at him. As they reached the center of the area, DK placed his hands on Sora's hips and lifted him onto his shoulders to give the boy a piggyback ride.. The powerful ape then raised his left arm high into the air and clinched his fist.

"Bananaaaaaaa Slamaaaaaa!" DK cried.

Donkey Kong brought his fist down onto the ground, delivering such a powerful blow that the whole earth started to shake from it. It was so powerful, the heartless couldn't even keep a stable balance. They soon fell from the branches and made their decent towards the ground. DK then grabbed Sora again and threw him right towards the heartless falling right in front of him. Holding his blade tightly, Sora flew right at the Powerwild and slashed it right in half. Sora then landed onto the ground in a crouched position. As he stood up, he turned to his left to see another heartless leap into the air and come right for him. As it was about to land on top of Sora, DK's right hand came in and grabbed the heartless by the throat. Another heartless leaped towards DK from behind him, but the ape turned around and brought the heartless he was holding with him and slammed it right on top of the other one leaping towards him, and slammed them right into the ground. Sora then came in and brought his blade down on both heartless, turning them into the dust. Sora then turned to DK and gave him a high five for a job well done.

DK returned to his card and Sora finished off the remaining heartless with his own skills, magic, and Sleights. Finally, the battle was over and he sighed with relief. Toadsworth rejoined Sora while clapping his hands.

"Excellent work, Master Sora," Toadsworth said. "You never cease to amaze me." He then looked at Sora's face. He noticed the boy had minor cuts on his cheek. Blood was slightly creeping out of them. "Gracious! Master Sora! Those fiends did a number on your face."

Sora lightly grunted, "Don't worry. I'm alright."

Toadsworth took out a clean handkerchief from his pocket and used it to wipe the blood off of his face. Sora lightly winced as he felt pain from Toadsworth touching it.

"Ow! Ow!" Sora yelped. "It hurts!"

"Relax, Master Sora," Toadsworth said calmly. "I'm almost done."

Toadsworth finished cleaning up Sora's face and Sora shook his head lightly to subside the pain.

"Thanks, Toadsworth," Sora smiled. "I feel better now."

Toadsworth then placed his handkerchief away and helped Sora up onto his feet.

"Well, this is no time for us to sit around," Toadsworth declared. "Yoshi awaits our arrival."

A confident and determined look appeared in Sora's blue eyes.

"Right," Sora agreed. "Let's go! We have some ground to cover."

"Affirmative."

Sora and Toadsworth continued to make their way through the Kongo jungle; keeping their eyes out for heartless or any other types of wildlife. As they walked, they took in the many sites of the jungle. They could hear the sounds of birds chirping and parrots squawking. They noticed more giant stones sticking out of the ground, and they even saw old trees. Through the rules and conditions of Castle Oblivion, Sora used the many cards he collected to open the various doors to different areas of the jungle. To Sora, it was like another day at school; fighting heartless, opening doors, and helping people. It was a like a routine cycle, but the difference here was that with every step he took, he was one step closer to hopefully reuniting himself with Riku. In his heart he knew that day would come soon.

The two continued to make there way through the many doors until they arrived in another area that was rather narrow. There were trees and vines all around the area. Ahead of them, they noticed a giant golden wooden barrel suspended in midair. Sora was amazed to see a barrel suspended in midair like that, but at the same time he was not too surprised. With all the incredible and unbelievable things he has seen on this journey such as anthropomorphic animals, magical weapons, strange creatures, and giant monsters, he was not too startled to see a barrel just floating their in midair. Toadsworth, on the other hand, was taken back in shock by this. How was that barrel doing that, he thought?

"Well, that is rather peculiar," Toadsworth rubbed his moustache. "I don't believe I've ever seen anything like that. "

"Heh, with all the incredible things I've witnessed on this entire journey," Sora grinned. "I'm not entirely surprised."

"But what do you suppose this barrel is used for?" Toadsworth wondered.

Sora shrugged, "If I were to guess, it looks like it's used to launch people out of it like a human cannonball. Perhaps we need to..."

Before Sora could finish, he was interrupted by a gentle beeping noise. Sora heard the sound came from his side. Looking down at his pocket, he noticed that his pocket was glowing a bright mustard color. Going through his pocket, he pulled out the "key to the beginning" card, which was glowing. Sora was flabbergasted as to why it was doing that.

"Hey, what's up with this card?" Sora blinked in astonishment.

"Master Sora!" Toadsworth cried out. "Look straight ahead!"

Sora looked up to notice that the barrel was glowing the exact same color as the card. It became pretty obvious that this barrel would lead them to Yoshi.

"They must be responding to each other," Toadsworth assumed as he glare at the card, and then the barrel. "That means this barrel must take us to the next room."

Sora did not waste anytime in heading over to the barrel as Toadsworth said that. That barrel was their ticket to reaching Cranky's lab. Toadsworth noticed Sora ran off without him, and he hurried along to catch up with the key bearer. He did not want to be left behind, especially in a jungle with heartless and wild animals.

"Master Sora, don't leave me behind!" Toadsworth clamored.

Sora flinched upon hearing the old man's cries. He knew he could not leave an elderly person like Toadsworth behind. Danger could strike him at any given moment. Sora stopped dead in his tracks, and turned back to retrieve Toadsworth when another Power Wild leaped out from the bushes, and did a cannonball flip into the air, and landed right in front of Toadsworth. The royal steward screamed in terror as the Power Wild ambushed him. His old heart started to beat rapidly in fear as it slowly approached him.

"GOOD GRAVY!" Toadsworth shrilled in fear, while holding his hands on his cheeks.

Sora drew his keyblade, and ran to help Toadsworth.

"Hang on, Toadsworth!" Sora shouted heroically.

Sora hurried over to Toadsworth as fast as he could. Before he could even get a chance to reach the elderly mushroom, another powerwild leaped in from another bush and landed in front of Sora. It then leaped into the air, lunging at the key bearer with its razor sharp claws. Sora quickly dodged the attack by doing a cartwheel leftward. As he landed, the heartless charge right for him. Thinking quickly, Sora shot a fire spell out of the keyblade towards the heartless stalking Toadsworth, and then he threw the blade towards the heartless attacking him. The blade cut the Powerwild right in half, while the fire spell scorched the back of the Power Wild attacking Toadsworth. The elderly mushroom sighed in relief as he knew he was out of danger. Meanwhile, Sora was about to rejoin Toadsworth when another Power Wild leaped onto his back, and tightly wrapped its arms and legs around Sora's torso. Sora felt his spine getting crushed like freshly squeezed celery as it gave him a tight bear hug. The situation got worse as ten more Power Wilds surrounded Sora. The boy just moaned.

"Aw...come...on..." said Sora as he strained with the heartless on him. "Can't...you...guys...give...it...a...rest..for...a...MINUTE!?"

Sora pushed back on the creatures arms with his own arms. Using every ounce of his strength, he pushed against the Power Wild who was crushing his body. Finally, Sora was able to push his arms outward so far that it broke the grip on the Power Wild. Sora quickly grabbed the heartless' left arm with both hands, and threw it over his shoulder, sending it crashing into two Power Wilds in front of him. Drawing his keyblade again, Sora turned towards the five Power Wilds behind him and attacked them head on. Sora brought his blade down vertically on the middle heartless, turning it right into dust. The one to the right of him came in and slashed Sora right across the chest with its sharp claws. The key bearer could only scream in pain as he felt the nails slide right across his chest. As he stumbled back from the pain, the one on the left slid on it buttocks and delivered a sliding kick to Sora's feet, causing him to trip and fall onto his back. Sora could only wince in irritation as his back jolted from hitting the ground so roughly. The one that tripped him turned around, and charged right for his face. Sora quickly rolled out of the way, and rolled around on the ground like a log. He continued to roll in hopes of getting away from the heartless for the moment, so he could get a chance to retaliate.

However, the ten remaining Power Wilds pursued him as he rolled around the area. Five of the Power Wilds ran past him and waited for him to roll right into them. Sora, however, had plans of his own. Sora stopped rolling, and shifted his body so that his feet were in the direction of the heartless coming at him. Two of the five heartless coming at him leaped into the air, ready to strike him when Sora bent his knees in and kicked both of them aside. He then stood back up and jerked his chest left as another swiped at him. As it went by him, he grabbed its tail and threw it into the fourth one coming at him. He then kneed the fifth one in the chin, and sent it flying into the sky. Sora turned to notice the heartless he knocked aside from the whole ordeal just a few seconds ago coming at him from each side of him. Seven to the left of him, and two on the right. Sora leaped a few feet back and fired a blizzard spell at the Power Wild in the air, turning it into a giant round ice ball that continued plummeting towards the ground. Another heartless swiped at Sora, but Sora rolled out of the way of the attack and stood in a kneeled position, facing the heartless he just dodged. The ice ball from before was just about to reach the ground when Sora took the keyblade, and swung at the ice ball like a baseball player. The ice ball knocked the heartless away.

The force from the attack caused the ice ball to go back into the air. Sora quickly rolled under the ice ball, and leaped back up to hit again. As he leaped up, the second heartless to the right appeared right under him. Sora vertically knocked the ice ball into one of the heartless on the left, sending it flying across the area. Sora then brought his blade down by placing it between his legs, and stabbed the one right under him, turning it into dust. Sora jerked his body back as another one swatted him. It was about to attack again when the ice ball which has been bouncing around like a volleyball hit its head hardly, knocking it right out from the hard blow. Sora then leaped up and kicked the ball towards the ground. Sora had perfectly timed the hit of the ball, as the four remaining Power Wilds have been moving towards their target in a zig zag formation. This meant that each heartless were side by side, but the ones on the right were a few feet back from the ones on the left. The ice ball hit the head of the left one, knocking it out, and it bounced off of it and flew in a diagonal direction to the one on the right, and so forth. As the ice ball hit the last one, it bounced off of the head and crashed into a sharp pointy rock, breaking it right in half. Sora could only grin at his accomplishment.

"Heh, I knew those volleyball lessons would pay off." Sora chuckled.

Sora quickly disposed of the now unconscious heartless, and the battle was officially over. Toadsworth hurried over to Sora as he noticed the coast was clear.

"Jolly good show, Master Sora!" Toadsworth compliment. "I see you have improved greatly from all of your battles."

Sora rubbed his head, blushing at Toadsworth's comment.

"Aw, it was nothing," Sora said sheepishly. "Just doing what I goto do." He then curved his lip downward in saddens. He still felt bad for running off without Toadsworth. "By the way, sorry I ran off without you like that. Guess I got a bit too excited."

Toadsworth smiled understandingly.

"Do not worry, Master Sora," Toadsworth chortled. "Accidents happen, right? However do try to be more careful next time. You ran ahead without thinking clearly, so you could've gotten hurt yourself."

"Yeah, I guess I was in hurry to get to Yoshi," Sora responded in embarrassment. "I should've watched where I was going. Good thing ya stopped me, or a heartless would've clobbered me right away." He then smiled. "Well, what are we waiting for? We can't just stand around here all day. Let's go!"

Toadsworth nodded in agreement, and the two hurried over to the barrel. Upon their arrival, Sora wondered how exactly they were supposed to use this barrel. Sora conjectured that the barrel was suppose to launch them into the air like a cannon. The question was, how were they suppose to activate it, let alone open it? Soon enough it became clear to him on what to do as he spotted a small slot on the side of the barrel. Taking out the golden card, he placed it in the slot and the barrel responded instantaneously to it. The bottom half of the barrel opened up like the opening hatch on top of an armor tank. It appeared that both Sora and Toadsworth had to climb into the barrel from this opening.

"Well, all aboard." Sora announced.

Sora put both of his hands on each side of Toadsworth's hips in order to help him climb into the barrel. As soon as the royal steward was securely within the barrel, Sora slowly pulled himself into the barrel. As his entire body was completely within the barrel, the bottom hatch closed right behind. Both Sora and Toadsworth's hearts rose in anticipation, knowing that at any given moment they would be launched out of the barrel like cannonballs. Soon enough, they felt a powerful surge of wind come from behind them, and it abruptly pushed them out of the barrel, sending them flying into the air. Sora and Toadsworth could feel the wind hit their face as they flew quickly across the jungle. During that time, both of them were able to get a perfect view of the jungle from so far up in the air. It was breathtaking. The jungle looked amazing from this high up. As they continued flying, Luigi and the kongs returned from their card forms to join Sora and Toadsworth.

"Hey, guys!" DK greeted his friends. "Enjoying the ride?"

Luigi instantly looked down to notice that they were flying in midair again like an Isle Delfino. He gasped in terror upon seeing this

"What in the name of ravioli is going on?" Luigi cried in fear. He then angrily turned to Sora. "Can't you ever pick a means of transportation that DOESN'T involve us going flying into the air and crashing into things?"

"Hey, don't blame me!" Sora protested. "It's not like I intentionally pick the things that send us flying."

"I guess we're pretty unlucky when it comes to getting somewhere, huh?" Luigi replied.

"Aw, come on, guys," Diddy said optimistically. "It's not that bad. Using a barrel here at Kongo Bongo is the only way to travel."

DK looked straight ahead until he began to see something in the distance between the trees. His eyes lit up in excitement upon recognizing what the place was. It was none other than Cranky's lab. Cranky's lab was located right in the heart of Kongo Bongo. It was connected to the almost top part of tree, so technically it was a tree house one might say. The lab itself was made out of a combination of bamboo and logs; the logs were used as support beams all around the lab while the bamboo was used as the roof. The roof had a circular shape to it, and in the middle of the roof was a hole, so sunlight could easily make its way into the lab. However, about seven feet above the hole was another roof that was used to partially block out the sun light. In front of the lab, you could notice a giant monkey face statue made out of stone. To the left and right of it were two stone hands that held two bananas also made out of stone. That was located right above the entrance to the lab. All around the lab was a wooden platform where the citizens of Kongo Bongo could walk around. They were connected by support beams which were attached to the giant tree.

The platform also connected to a straight single path where Kongs could walk down in order to get to the many other tree houses of the jungle. Sora was simply astounded as he saw the area come into view. He had no idea that the kongs built tree houses to live in. These primates were civilized. They behaved and acted just like humans, and that was pretty amazing, he thought. Soon enough, the group started to make their decent towards the narrow platform. Using all of his strength, DK was able to fly ahead of the others, and he gracefully landed on the path. Turning around, he saw everyone else flying towards him. DK knew that he was going to have to catch them. He noticed that Diddy was ahead of the others, so he was going to catch the chimp first.

"Flying little buddy, heads up!" Diddy called to DK

Holding his hands out, DK first caught Diddy and placed him on the ground.

"Nice catch." Diddy said.

"Thanks, no problem." DK chuckled in response.

DK then turned his attention back to the others. He carefully watched as the others made their decent towards the ground. He kept his eyes on Sora and Toadsworth because they were coming down ahead of Luigi. DK got into position and caught Sora and Toadsworth in his arms. He then placed both of them on the ground. Three down and one to go, DK thought. Looking up again, he saw Luigi flying right towards them, flailing his arms all around and screaming hysterically. DK frantically ran around the area, trying to get into a good position to catch him.

"Hang on, Luigi!" DK cried. "I gotchya! I gotchya!"

DK finally found a good place to catch Luigi, and he stuck his hands into the air. However, DK failed to realize that he was a few feet off from where Luigi was going to land. The plumber flew right over DK's head and he crashed right into the platform. The impact was so strong that the green clad plumber ended up going through the platform, but he got caught in between the middle of the platform, with his upper body facing the ground below, and his feet were facing the sky. Sora's group turned to see Luigi's feet wiggling around, struggling to get free from the platform.

"Help!" Luigi cried in fear. "Get me out of here! I don't like looking at the ground like this!" Luigi then looked down at himself to notice he could not see his feet. "Hey, I can only see half of my body like this. I guess that makes me half the man I used to be, huh?"

Everyone groaned at Luigi for another one of his bad jokes. Sora turned to DK.

"Hurry up and get him out of there before he makes another joke." said Sora exasperated

DK approached Luigi and wrapped his hands around Luigi's calves. He then effortlessly pulled Luigi out of the platform. The gang noticed a hole left in the platform from Luigi's body. DK held Luigi upside down; the plumber glaring at the ape with crossed arms and narrowed eyes. DK sheepishly grinned.

"Oops, sorry, Luigi," DK said remorsefully. "My hand eye coordination can be a bit off sometimes."

Luigi just sighed forgivingly, "Look, don't worry about, DK. Stuff happens, right? Let's just drop the whole thing."

All of a sudden, DK unexpected released his grip on Luigi's calves, and he fell right to the ground, landing on his head. The plumber held his head from the throbbing pain he received and angrily snapped at DK.

"I DIDN'T MEAN DROP ME!!" Luigi shouted angrily.

Sora could not help but laugh at that moment. It was so priceless, he thought. However, they had more important things to worry about. Sora approached DK and tapped his shoulder.

"Okay, well now that we're here, where exactly is the lab?" Sora asked DK.

DK pointed left, "It's that building over there. Good old Cranky's lab!"

"Let's hurry up then!" Sora cried. "Yoshi's waiting for us!"

After helping Luigi get to his feet, the five made their way towards Cranky's lab non stop. As they were about to reach the entrance, they stopped suddenly as they notice someone has appeared there. Sora noticed that it was another Kong, but this one was female based on the figure. She was a bit taller than Sora, and she had light brown fur. She wore short jeans and a white t-shirt. On top of her head she wore a green band, and had on green sandals on. Sora could notice she did not look too happy, considering she had her hands on her hips, and was impatiently tapping her foot while frowning. Sora, Luigi, and Toadsworth did not understand why she was upset until they noticed DK quickly ran behind Sora, and ducked down low. Apparently the female Kong was DK's girlfriend, and she was not too pleased with him for some reason.

"DK, what are you...?" Sora began to ask.

"Shh, if anyone asks about me, tell them I'm on my lunch break." DK whispered to Sora worryingly.

Sora rolled his eyes. Clearly anyone could see DK hidden from behind Sora. The female kong angrily stomped over to Sora, and grabbed DK's ear and pulled him. She pulled so hard on DK's ear that he thought she was going to rip it off.

"Ow! Ow!" DK yelped in pain. "Candy! Baby! My banana cream pie!"

"Oh, don't banana cream pie me," Candy replied spitefully. "You promised me that we were going to have a romantic picnic today, and so I wait for an hour and you never showed up."

"But baby, I can explain..." DK stuttered nervously.

"Explain?" Candy scoffed. "This is the third time you've done this to me, and most of your explanations have been the same." She then imitated him. "Sorry, Candy, but I was doing something with my little buddy, Diddy." She then spoke normally, but with an angered tone. "It's always the same one! I'm not going to fall for it this time, DK! I know you're up to something!"

At this point, Toadsworth quickly intervened.

"Madam, I can understand that you are rather upset about Donkey Kong being an hour late for your luncheon, but I can assure you that his reasons for being late are of the utmost importance." Toadsworth spoke up politely.

"Yeah," DK nodded in agreement, nervously grinning. "What the old dude said." He then pouted. "Come on, baby. I'm sorry. Just give me another chance. Please?"

Candy thought about for a moment. Despite the fact that at times DK was forgetful, their love for each other was still strong. Besides, just looking at DK like that made him seem so innocent. Finally, a light smile appeared on Candy's lips.

"Okay, okay," she said calmly. "I'll forgive you."

DK sighed with relief, knowing he dodged a bullet right there. Candy released her grip on DK's ear, and DK stood back up, rubbing his ear to ease the pain. Candy Kong was one of the many kongs who also resided on Kongo Bongo. She was DK's girlfriend, and although she appeared a bit tough, deep down she was understanding and caring. Candy was startled as she took notice of Sora's group.

"DK, are these friends of your's?" Candy asked DK.

"Yup," Diddy replied for DK. "They just got here today, and we're helping them find a friend of theirs."

"We need to see Cranky," DK declared. "Is he home?"

Before Candy could respond, another kong angrily stomped his way out of the lab, using a cane to help him walk. Just from looking at him, you could instantly tell that he was an old man. He was hunched over and he had a long white beard; something you would never expect to see on a primate's face. He wore a blue sleeveless vest, and he wore reading glasses. He approached Donkey Kong, an infuriated look in his eyes. DK could only smile innocently upon seeing the old kong walk right up to him.

"Hey, Cranky," DK greeted the kong. "Enjoyed your nap?"

**WAM!!**

Before you could say, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, DK felt the rough exterior of Cranky's wooden cane as it struck him right across the head. It happened so fast, he did not even get a chance to blink. DK placed his hands on his head, yelping in pain and trying to lessen it at the same time.

"Ow! Ow!" DK hooted in pain.

"That's what you get for stirring up trouble again, you knucklehead!" Cranky scorned his grandson harshly. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop monkeying around when you're suppose to be guarding the Crystal Coconut?"

"But Cranky, it's not my fault," DK pouted. "My stomach just sometimes moves faster than my brain."

"I'm surprised that you even have a brain." Cranky responded angrily.

Sora walked up to Diddy, and bent down to him.

"Geeze, no wonder he's called Cranky Kong," Sora said to Diddy in astonishment. "He really is crabby."

"He's not that bad of a guy," Diddy assured him. "He's good at heart, though he doesn't show it all the time."

Meanwhile, Cranky continued scorning DK.

"You're suppose to be the future ruler of Kongo Bongo," Cranky continued. "And a good ruler is suppose to be responsible, and yet, you don't show any of that!"

DK put his head down sadly. What Cranky said was true. How could he become the future ruler of Kongo Bongo if he could not even watch over the Crystal Coconut? At that point, Sora could not watch DK like this anymore. Sora knew that DK acknowledged what he did was wrong, and he did not to be put down anymore. It became apparent that DK was still adapting to taking responsibility ever since he came to grasp that he was going to be the future ruler of the jungle. As Cranky stated, a good ruler is supposed to be responsible for everything he or she does. Sora ran over to the two kongs and intervened.

"Listen, sir," Sora said. "Don't be so hard on him! DK clearly understands what he did was wrong, and I'm sure he'll try harder to guard the Crystal Coconut."

Cranky got startled by Sora's presents.

"Ahh!" Cranky cried. "What's the idea in intervening like that?"

"Sorry, but I had to make a say in this," Sora replied sincerely. "Give DK another chance. I'm sure he'll be a great ruler one day if he really works at it."

DK was speechless. He could not believe that Sora was sticking up to him like that. Cranky just scowled at Sora for this sudden inconvenience.

"Young man," Cranky began. "I don't know where you came from or why you're here, but if it's one thing I can't tolerate it's people meddling in the affairs of other people's business!"

Sora regretfully put his head down, realizing it really was not his right to intervene in the first place, but he still had to make a stand. All of a sudden, everyone gasped in surprise as a smile appeared on Cranky's face, something he rarely ever shown.

"However...I got to admit," Cranky chuckled. "It took a lot of guts to stand up for DK like that, and what you say is true. DK is still learning."

Sora looked back up, gasping in surprise by what he heard. Diddy was right after all. He was not that bad of a guy.

"You mean that?" Sora asked.

Cranky nodded, "Every last word, son." He then turned to DK. "Listen, Donkey Kong, I'll forgive you this time, but you really have to start stepping up to the plate here. Being the ruler of this world is no walk in the park! Just remember that next time, banana brain!"

DK nodded, "You bet I will, Cranky."

"Oh, and I have a piece of advise for you...uh..what's your name?" Cranky asked as he turned his attention back to Sora.

"Sora." the key bearer responded happily.

"Okay, Sora, here is my advise to ya." Cranky began.

Unexpectedly, Cranky took his cane and wacked it right across Sora's head, causing him to yell in pain.

"Learn not to meddle!" Cranky shouted angrily.

"Okay, okay, geeze!" Sora yelped frantically. "Calm down!"

"Now then," Cranky cleared his throat. "Would anyone care to explain why a dinosaur has fully digested the crystal coconut?"

Diddy explained the situation to Cranky, starting from when they first saw Yoshi eating the coconut to when they encountered Sora, Luigi, and Toadsworth with the pirates.

"So, that little monster is a friend of those three, huh?" Cranky said.

"Uh-huh," Diddy responded. "They were separated from him when they arrive."

"You know, you never did tell us how you guys got here." DK said as he turned to the trio.

"Yeah, where exactly did you come from?" Candy asked them suspiciously.

The trio exchanged worried glares with each other. They did not know how to explain how they ended up on the island. Luigi thought of a quick way to save themselves from explanation.

"It's too long of a story to explain," Luigi spoke up. "We won't be here long anyways. We just need to grab our friend, and then we'll be on our way."

Candy shook her head, "I'm afraid your friend can't leave until the coconut is out of his system."

"Yes, but due to the overwhelming power of the coconut itself, it can't be properly digested," Cranky explained. "Only a rare torow-torow flower can help the digestion process."

Diddy took his hat off and pulled out the torow-torow flower.

"Way ahead of you, Cranky," Diddy said as he handed the flower to Cranky. "I already took the liberty of finding one with DK."

"Good job, Diddy," Cranky cried happily. "Now we can get the coconut out of his system. I just have to mix it with a few ingredients in my lab, and then we're all set to go."

Things finally seemed to be going right for the group. They were about to be reunited with their friend, plus they would be able to get the crystal coconut out of his stomach as well. Cranky then turned to Sora's group.

"And as much as I don't like company too much, you three are welcomed to come in." Cranky told them.

"Hey, thanks." Sora smiled.

"But don't get too comfortable, kid!" Cranky replied with a snap. He then shouted. "Once this matter's been resolved you're out of here! Vamoose! Split! Gone! Disappeared! Scram! Decamp! Beat it! Understand?"

Sora's group cringed back in fear at Cranky's sudden outburst. They have never met anyone as crabby as Cranky...but then again, Cid could be even worse than the elderly kong.

"Um, okay," Luigi said skeptically. "We understand. We didn't need an entire thesaurus to get the message." He then turned to DK. "Wow, he would not make a good host at a party, would he?"

DK shrugged, "I dunno. I've never seen him host a party before."

"Cranky, calm down," Candy exclaimed. "Don't get angry again. Think of your blood pressure. Let's just go inside, so we can get this matter settled."

Cranky nodded, "I suppose you're right."

Cranky took a slow deep breath until he managed to calm himself down. He then slowly turned around and made his way into the lab. Everyone watched as Cranky slowly walked towards the lab. He walked just like a turtle; it took him almost forever to get to the door. It seemed that when he was angry he actually ran fast, but since he was calm now, he walked so slow that a snail could have easily bested him in a race. As he finally arrived at the door, he stopped to notice that the others were not following him. To make matters worse, DK and Diddy have both fallen asleep from waiting for so long.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Cranky called to them.

Sora's group woke Diddy and DK up from their nap. Both of them lightly grumbled as they got back onto their feet. Everyone then hurried over to the entrance, and went inside. The interior of Cranky's lab would be what you expect; a laboratory that had beakers and books stacked on shelves. They were stacked neatly all around the room. The room also contained stacks of barrels and boxes that were placed throughout the room. Sora noticed a bed and lamp over on the northwest side of the room. On the northern side of the room there was a giant organ. Sora slightly raised any eyebrow from seeing that. Mad scientists usually had organs to play as a way to keep themselves entertained when they're not trying to take over the world. Was Cranky a mad scientist? Sora hoped not. He's dealt with a mad scientist in the past, and from what he could recollect it was not pretty. Looking northeast, Sora also noticed an ape statue that resembled Donkey Kong. He also saw a few globes scattered throughout the room. As both he and Luigi looked to their left, they saw a large desk that contained more beakers on it. However, Sora and Luigi recognized someone who was sitting on the desk. Their heartbeats rose in excitement as they recognized a familiar green dinosaur, curiously looking around at the environment.

Almost instantly Sora and Luigi shouted out together, "Yoshi!!!"

Yoshi instantaneously spun around upon hearing those voices. His eyes lit up in joy and relief upon seeing his three friends again.

"Sora! Luigi! Toadsworth!" he cried.

Yoshi hopped off of the desk and ran over to his friends, his arms spread wide out. Both Sora and Luigi braced themselves, as they knew what was coming.

"Oh, no!" Luigi cried.

Yoshi happily jumped into Sora and Luigi, and the three of them fell onto the ground. Yoshi then began to lick Sora and Luigi like crazy, overjoyed to see his friends. The two could not help but laugh as Yoshi's wet tongue tickled their faces. The kongs were grateful that the Sora, Luigi, and Yoshi were finally together again. After a few minutes of licking them to death, Yoshi finally sat up, giving Sora and Luigi the chance to sit up. Toadsworth also joined the trio.

"Yoshi!" Toadsworth greeted the dinosaur. "So good to see you're safe and sound."

"Aw, I fine, Toadsworth," Yoshi assured him. "Yoshi not beaten up or anything."

"What happened though?" Luigi asked in concern. "I thought we went through the portal together."

"Yoshi had to stay behind for a moment," Yoshi explained. He then went through his saddle and pulled out a familiar star shaped pendant. "So he could get pendant that fell out of Sora's pocket."

Sora's breath became light upon recognizing the pendent. It was Kairi's lucky charm, safe and sound with Yoshi. Sora still could not believe that he almost lost it forever. If had it been not for Yoshi, he would have never seen it again, and Sora just could not bare to see the look of despair on Kairi's face. Come to think of it, he probably would not have been able to look at himself in the mirror again for breaking a very crucial promise he made to Kairi. That charm met the world to her, and he could not afford to lose it. Sora sighed in relief, resting his hand on chest. Words alone could not describe how relieved he was.

"Yoshi...I don't know what to say..." said Sora, an uncertain tone in his voice.

Yoshi smiled gently, "A thank you is good enough for me."

Yoshi handed Kairi's charm to the key bearer. Sora gazed at the charm passionately. It was still hard to believe he almost lost the charm. While he was losing his memories with every floor he reached, there was one memory he could not shake; the memory of Kairi and the promise he made. He brought the star close to his chest and close his eyes.

"_Oh, Kairi," _Sora thought. _"I thought I almost lost your lucky charm forever. I promise that I will keep an even closer eye on it until it's safely back in your hands." _

Everybody watched Sora in this position. The kongs assumed that the item Sora held was important to him. Luigi, Toadsworth, and Yoshi knew that this item meant much more to him then just being a lucky charm. Sora placed the charm back in his pocket, patting it to make sure it would stay there. He then brought Yoshi into his arms and hugged him.

"Yoshi, you don't know how happy I am to have this back," Sora said happily. "Thank you so much, pal."

All of a sudden, Sora could hear Yoshi moaning in pain. Sora quickly pulled Yoshi away to see a miserable look on the young dinosaur's face.

"Yoshi, are you okay?" Sora asked in concern.

Yoshi moaned again, "Yoshi's tummy hurt."

Luigi groaned, "Oh, and why do you think it hurts?"

Yoshi nervously grinned, "Um, because Yoshi recently came down with a stomach virus?"

"Don't lie!" Luigi scorned at Yoshi. "How many times do I have to lecture you about lying? Do you want that nose of your's to grow to humongous proportions, Pinocchio?"

Yoshi covered his nose in fear upon hearing that. His nose was already pretty big, and he did not want it to get any bigger.

"No! Not that!" Yoshi exclaimed. "Anything, but that! Yoshi tell truth! Yoshi tell truth! Yoshi ate the Crystal Coconut! I sorry! Yoshi was..."

"We know, we know," Sora interrupted with a chuckle. "You were hungry." His lip then curved downward in disappointment. "You really have to be careful about what you eat, little buddy. It could be bad for you."

Yoshi held his stomach in agony as he felt pain coming from it.

"Ooh, Yoshi learn that the hard way." Yoshi moaned.

"Well, don't worry about it, kid," Luigi said exuberantly. "We're gonna get that coconut out as soon as you know it."

"Due to the overwhelming power of the coconut, it cannot be digested properly, meaning that it's stuck in your stomach," Cranky said. A look of distraught appeared on Yoshi's face. "Don't get yourself worried for nothing! I have the ingredients necessary to get that coconut out of your system!"

Yoshi gave a sigh of relief upon hearing that. He did not know how much longer he could bare the pain of the coconut in his stomach. Cranky went over to one of the cabinet and pulled out a book. He opened the book and skimmed through the pages until he stopped on a certain page. This page talked about the ingredients that were used along with the torow-torow flower to create the cure for getting the coconut out.

"According to my calculations it should take about thirty minutes to complete," Cranky said. He then walked over to the working area with the book in hand. "So in the mean time you knuckleheads are free to relax in here...but do not touch a thing." As he said that, DK approached the refrigerator to grab a snack. "That includes the refrigerator."

DK put his head down sadly, "Oh."

"Don't worry, DK," Diddy assured his friend. "We'll find something to do while we wait."

While the group was talking amongst themselves, Toadsworth slowly made his way over to a couch to take a breather from walking so much. As he made his way over, he felt like something was not right. He felt apprehensive as he stopped by a window. The royal steward felt like someone was breathing gently down his neck, ready to ambush him at any given moment. Toadsworth's old heart started to beat briskly as he got nervous. The direction of the feeling was directly to the right of him. Quickly turning his head right, he turned to face a window, but to his surprise, there was nothing there. That was strange, he thought. He could have sworn he felt a presence from behind that window. He began to think deeply about it. Did some sort of animal climb onto the window and then scurried off when Toadsworth turned to face him, or was it merely a figment of his imagination? Nether the less, he decided not to contemplate over it. It was probably not a big deal. Turning his body around, he slowly made his way to the couch, completely oblivious to the fact that he was right to be suspicious. In the window two pairs of evil looking eyes were spying on the group, watching over their every move. The two eyes then snickered evilly to each other, and they slowly sunk down into the window.

About twenty minutes have passed since Cranky began working on creating the formula that would get the coconut out of Yoshi's stomach. During that time, the others were hanging around the lab; making small talk with each other, and reminiscing about their past adventures. Everyone but Sora sat on comfy chairs and couches at the front of the room. Toadsworth and Luigi sat in reclining chairs that were across from one another. Diddy sat on a barrel that was right next to Luigi, and DK say on the couch with his arm wrapped around Candy's back. Sora remained over by Cranky's work area to keep Yoshi occupied, so that the dinosaur would not think about the stomach ache he had. DK told Luigi and Toadsworth about one of his past adventures.

"And so he is one of the most skilled kongs who was trained in the arts of kung fu on the island," DK told his friends. "He was beating me to a pulp, but get this...he's afraid of the dark!"

Everyone started to laugh at the comment. Clearly whoever DK was referring to was a martial artist of some kind and he was nyctophobic. Luigi just started laughing at the thought of that.

"Man, what a wuss!" Luigi laughed hardly. "How can some kung fu master like that be afraid of something so simple as the dark?"

"Everyone has a fear of something, Master Luigi," Toadsworth pointed out. "I mean you're practically afraid of everything."

"Hey, just because I get scared easily doesn't mean I'm afraid of everything!" Luigi boomed out in offence.

Everyone just lightly chuckled to themselves as Luigi continued ranting on. Meanwhile, Sora continued to keep Yoshi entertained. Folding his hands together, Sora put his fingers on the outside. His thumbs were also pressed against each other.

"Here's the church..." Sora began as he recited a classic children's rhythm. He then raised his index fingers and put the tips together like a triangle. "Here's the steeple." He then separated his thumbs. "Open up the doors..." He then turned his fingers inside out, revealing the palms of his hands. "But where are all the people?"

Yoshi gasped in horror upon seeing that, "Oh, no! Did aliens abduct the people?"

Sora grinned whimsically, "No, silly. It's Saturday. People go to church on Sunday."

Yoshi giggled, "Oh, yeah. That's right."

"Wait, wait," Sora said. He then did the same thing again, only this time his fingers were hidden inside. "Here's the church, here's the steeple. Open up the doors..." He then turned his fingers inside out, this time with the fingers on the inside. He wiggled them around. "And there's all the people."

"Hooray!" Yoshi cheered, while putting his arms into the air. "People are here." He then whispered in Sora's ear. "Yoshi think someone should tell the people it Saturday though."

Sora rolled his with a smile at Yoshi. He could be narrowminded at times, but Yoshi was still a smart little dinosaur. Sora then gently stroked Yoshi's head.

"Heheheheh, it's good to have you back, little buddy." Sora said with a smile

"Young man," Cranky addressed Sora. The boy turned to him. "There's been something I've been meaning to talk to you about."

"What's that?" Sora inquired.

"I have grown a little suspicious about your presents here," Cranky said while he was still occupied with making the formula. "I have a feeling you had other intentions of coming here other than finding your little dino friend."

Sora nodded, "Yeah, you're right. There is another reason we're here. You see, I'm looking for another friend of mine. Unlike Yoshi though, I'm uncertain if he's here or not."

Overhearing what Sora said, DK turned to the spiky haired boy curiously.

"If you're uncertain about where this friend of your's is, then why look here?" DK asked.

Sora did not know how to answer that question. On one hand he did not want to leave the kongs in the dark about why they were here, but at the same time he did not want to reveal to them that they were nothing more than illusions created by Axel and the other cloaked man. Sora could then hear Luigi clearing his throat to him. Glancing over at the green clad plumber, he noticed Luigi nodding to him to proceed. Sora knew that it was okay to tell the kongs what was going on while leaving out a crucial few details.

"See...how do I explain this?" Sora began as he twiddled with his fingers. "The four of us are not residents of this world."

"Yeah, we got that part already." Cranky said sarcastically.

"We were separated from friends of ours, and we arrived at this strange castle," Sora continued. "There we met some strange cloaked figures who told us our friends were in the castle, but it was also possible that they could be at other worlds. So these guys provided us with a gateway that teleports us to different worlds where hopefully our friends could be."

Diddy rubbed his chin curiously, "Can you trust these guys who told that your friends could be here?"

Luigi shrugged his shoulders, "At that point we were kinda getting desperate. We had no leads as to the whereabouts of our friends until we arrived at the castle."

Sora sighed softly, "But these guys...it feels like they knew everything about us. It felt like they knew about our deepest desires, and what are goals are."

"Even if that's true, you need to be careful around these cloaked figures," Cranky advised him. "In today's society it's hard to distinguish people who can be trusted. You could be walking right into their hands like a dog on a leash."

Sora nodded understandingly, "Well, yeah, but it's more than just taking their word for granted. I somehow have this gut feeling that Riku is somewhere in there. I dunno why, but I just have this strong belief he's there."

"Well, it is always important to follow what you believe," Candy nodded in agreement. "And we can respect that, but please be careful."

"Cloaked figures don't sound like the right crowd to be hanging around with." DK informed them. "Where ever you guys go, just watch your backs."

"Right, right." Luigi said, while waving his hand unconcerned. "The three of us have dealt with tougher things than these guys. We'll be fine."

"Hey, Cranky," Sora said as he turned back to the elder kong. "You wouldn't have happen to see my friend, would ya? He's a boy around my age with silver hair."

"Sorry, young man," Cranky replied with a shake of his head. "Humans haven't been here in about a hundred years. Even if he was here, we would have been made aware of it. The jungle has eyes and ears, so he would have been spotted by now, and I would have been told about it."

Sora became deflated upon hearing that. Riku was not here either, he thought. It all seemed like a wild goose chase, but no matter what the circumstance, giving up was not an option. He would search every world until he was an old man just to find his best friend. He would not go back to the islands without Riku. Looking up at Cranky, he gave off his famous smile.

"Okay, I guess that means we're gonna have to look elsewhere." Sora declared.

"Good for you, but would you not bother me anymore!?" Crank said as he raised his voice. "I can't concentrate with this chattering! I should be done within five more minutes! So keep your trap shut!"

Sora was about to respond, but he thought about the consequences in doing so. Sora then gently rubbed his head which was still throbbing from when Cranky wacked him over the head with his club early. He decided to worry about other things. During their trip through Kongo Bongo, Sora was thinking about Axel. He still wondered what the man of fire meant by, "when your sleeping memories awaken, you may no longer be you." Was Axel trying to deceive him, or was Axel's words authentic? Either way, he had to remain alert just in case something was to happen. Of course, he did not worry about it too much since he knew Luigi, Yoshi, and Toadsworth had his back. Without them here, Sora did not know he would remain sane in Castle Oblivion.

A few minutes have gone by after that little discussion. Everyone had gone about their own business. In fact, the gang was watching movies on a projector to pass the time. They were watching scenes from the annual kong picnic. On the screen was another kong standing on top of a wooden stage which had stairs on the left and right side of going down to the ground. Behind him were three wooden beams that supported the curtain. The kong on stage wore overalls and a white shirt. He had arms that were so long that they could touch the ground effortlessly. However, since the video was in black and white it was hard to determine what color his skin was. Surprisingly, though, this movie projector was able to produce sound as they were able to hear what he was saying.

"Okay, okay, I got a good one," the kong said with excitement. "What is a mouse's favorite game? Parcheesi! Get it? Mice love to eat cheese?" There was dead silence in response to the joke. Not a single laugh erupted from the joke. The kong started to sweat nervously. "O-okay. So, what do you call Daffy Duck in space? An astro'nut'! Get it? He's a crazy duck!"

All of a sudden a tomato went flying at him. Thinking quickly, the kong jerked his head left; just narrowly missing the tomato. Then another one came at him, but he jerked his head right to avoid the throw. A few more came at him, but he was able to dodge them all including one that came at his groin area. To dodge that one he quickly stretched his groin area upward in some strange cartoon like manner, allowing the tomato to fly under his legs. He then quickly brought his groin area back down. He then looked out to notice his audience was out of tomatoes, meaning he was in the clear. He then abruptly pointed at them.

"Ha!" he laughed in triumph. "All of your tomatoes missed me!" He then danced around the area, singing in a mocking tone to the audience. "Ha! Ha! Ha! You can't catch me! You can't catch me!"

All of a sudden, a watermelon flew in from the right side and hit him right in the face, knocking his entire body backwards from the force. The kong quickly waved his arms around, trying to regain his balance. As he came back up, the group noticed he had half of the watermelon over his head. The kong staggered across the area trying to find his away off the stage when he fell over the edge, and landed on the ground. The group then heard some people in the video shout out DK's name in anger. DK then noticed everyone except for Sora's group giving him dirty looks.

"What?" DK said.

"You threw a watermelon at Lanky Kong, and he ended up with a broken leg," Candy explained sternly. "Why did you even throw a watermelon at him in the first place?"

"Well, everyone else threw tomatoes at him," DK cried in defense. "We were all out of tomatoes, so I thought using a watermelon would be sufficient."

Luigi groaned, "Considering the fact that a watermelon is an enormous compared to a tomato, I would say that's a pretty good reason for everyone to get upset. Besides, why did you guys throw tomatoes anyway? I thought those jokes were hilarious!"

Everyone glared at Luigi in surprise. He actually thought those jokes were hilarious? What was wrong with him? Sora just made his famous smile.

"It's like they say," Sora chuckled. "It takes listening to bad jokes in order to tell bad jokes."

"Hey!" Luigi shouted in offense.

Everyone else lightly chuckled to themselves for Sora's comment. As the group resumed watching the home movies, the group heard a knock at the door. Diddy instantly got off of his barrel and went to answer the door.

"I'll get it!" the little chimp offered.

Diddy ran over to the door and opened the door. Who he saw at the door caused his heart to melt. Before him stood a female kong around his age with brown fur and she had long yellow hair. She wore a pink beret on her head, and she wore a pink tank top. Diddy could not help but smile passionately upon seeing her. This was Diddy's girlfriend who was named Dixie Kong. During their last adventure, Sora, Luigi, and Yoshi came to discover that Dixie, along with Zelda was one of the seven princesses of heart needed in order to open the door to eternal darkness. Unfortunately, due to the laws of Castle Oblivion, the gang had no recollection of her and the vital role she played during their first adventure. Dixie approached her boyfriend with a look as if she was happy to see him.

"Hey, Diddy," Dixie greeted her boyfriend. "I was wondering where you've been."

"Aw, you know," Diddy chuckled. "Hang out with DK. Bashing some kremlings…the usual stuff."

"Oh, well, I hope you're not busy right now," Dixie said as she slowly approached him. "I was hoping you and I could…well…..you know…spend a little time together."

Diddy started to blush affectionately at Dixie. While he always enjoyed hanging out with DK and his friends, he always made time to spend time with his girlfriend, unlike DK who often forget about his dates with Candy. He then turned to Cranky with a hopeful look in his eyes.

"Say, Cranky, do you mind if I go hang out with Dixie for a little while?" Diddy asked Cranky.

Cranky turned to Diddy with a nod.

"Yeah, sure," Cranky said. He then waved one finger instructively in the air. "Be sure to be back later though."

"We will, Cranky," Diddy complied. He then turned to Sora's group. "If I don't return by the time you guys leave, I just wanna say it was very nice meeting you."

Sora smiled, "Same here. It was nice meeting you, Diddy."

Dixie glared confusingly at the three strange visitors. She had never seen them before in her life.

"Diddy, who are these guys?" Dixie spoke up.

"I'll explain later," Diddy told her. "To make a long story short, let's just say they ran into trouble with the Crystal Coconut."

Dixie gasped in horror, "Oh, no!"

"Relax, Dixie," DK rest assured her. "Cranky is already working on a way to fix the problem."

Dixie sighed, thankful to hear that.

"Thank goodness," Dixie said relieved. "I hope you can fix the problem."

"Of course I can, Dixie," Cranky snorted. "I'm the smartest Kong in all of Kongo Bongo! There's nothing I can't handle!"

"Except when it comes to your dentures." DK muttered under his breath.

Cranky heard DK say something, albeit he did not know what he said. He suspiciously turned to DK with an ominous look in his eyes.

"What did you just say?" Cranky said as he raised his voice.

DK turned to Cranky with a nervous grin, "Uh, I said, when can we eat?"

"Not until we get that coconut out of Yoshi's stomach." Cranky replied.

Dixie and Diddy said their good-byes to the Kongs and their new friends as they exited the lab. Seeing Diddy and Dixie together reminded Sora of when he and Kairi would hang out together when they were younger. They would spend hours together on the island without Riku; just talking about anything they wanted to. The only difference between the Kong kids, Sora and Kairi was that Sora and Kairi were not in a relationship, although ever since their time apart from each other, Sora has begun to feel more deeply about the direction of his relationship with Kairi. Before Sora could think about it some more, Cranky called out to them.

"At last!" Cranky exclaimed. "It's done!"

Everyone, including Toadsworth sat up from their seats and walked over to the lab. In Cranky's hand he held a beaker that had an orange liquid in it. The group assumed that this must be what the cure looks like. Sora noticed that it was bubbling on the top from the reactions that the chemicals were making. Luigi was a little unsure about this. Could this have some side effect that could potentially harm Yoshi internally? Nevertheless, it was the only option they could take to get that coconut out of him.

"Good going, Cranky!" DK cheered. "Now that you finished it, what are you gonna do with it?" Luigi smacked his forehead for DK's stupid remark. DK then remembered what it was for. "Oh, yeah. You have to give it to Yoshi, right?"

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Cranky said in annoyance. "It sure was nice of you to tell us what to do next."

"Listen, enough with the sarcastic remarks, and let's get this over with," Luigi said impatiently. Suddenly, without warning, Cranky whacked him over the head with his cane. "Ow!"

"Keep your mouth shut, you knucklehead!" Cranky said infuriated.

"Freaky Fettuccini!" Luigi yelped in pain. "Alright, alright!" He then thought to himself, _"Mama-mia! No wonder this guy is called Cranky Kong! He's really crabby!" _

Cranky then turned his attention back to Yoshi, who patiently waited for instructions from Cranky. The elder walked over to where he was, and placed the beaker in front of him.

"Okay, you little rugrat," Cranky said to Yoshi. "You must drink every drop of liquid in this bottle. Once you do, in approximately three seconds the potion will put a powerful pressure on your stomach muscles that will force you to spit that coconut."

Yoshi tapped his fingers on the table with worry. As a child, he often worried about things that would hurt him. He remembered one time he got a shot, and to him it hurt so much.

"It not going to hurt, is it?" Yoshi whimpered in dismay.

Cranky shook his head, "It's going to tickle a little bit, but you should be fine. There should be no complications at all. Just drink it all down."

"Go for it, little dude!" DK cheered in hopes of encouragement. "Chug it! Chug it!"

Soon everyone joined in chanting, "Chug it! Chug it!"

Boosting his self esteem from the support of his friends, Yoshi arose to his feet and picked the beaker up with both hands. Taking a deep breath, he titled the beaker upward and opened his mouth, letting the liquid slide into his mouth. Strangely, the liquid had a ginger taste to it as it touched his tongue, but Yoshi did not mind it. In fact, he liked the taste of ginger. Everyone waited in anticipation as Yoshi finished off the entire beaker. Yoshi then placed the beaker back down on the ground and let out a loud burp from the bubbles. Yoshi then placed his hands on this mouth while blushing.

"Excuse me!" Yoshi apologized.

Straightaway, Yoshi began to feel something pushing its way up his stomach. Much like what Cranky said, it started to tickle as whatever it was moved expeditiously through his esophagus. Soon enough, Yoshi felt something enter his mouth. Everyone could tell that something was in his mouth because his cheeks were puffed up like a balloon getting filled with hot air. Yoshi's initial reaction to that was to open his mouth and spit it right out. Everyone saw a glowing round object spin across the room which had Yoshi's saliva coming off of it. The object then landed right on the ground, in the middle of the room. Sora and Luigi looked on in astonishment as they saw a silver coconut that was radiant with light. This was, without a doubt, the crystal coconut.

"Wow," Sora said in aw. "Incredible."

"Indeed it is," Toadsworth agreed. "It truly is a magnificent sight."

"And it was in Yoshi's stomach, too." Yoshi grinned proudly.

The kongs placed their hands on their chests, letting out a sigh of relief. At last it was over. The crystal coconut was safely within their grasp...or was it? Cranky turned to DK, and commanded him to go over to retrieve the coconut. DK was about to get it when all of a sudden, DK noticed something coming at him from the corner of his eye. Veering his head left, he noticed an orange flying towards him from out of nowhere. DK's eyes widened in absolute terror as he saw the orange come towards him. Without giving it a second thought, he quickly turned around to the group and ran back towards them.

"QUICK!!" DK called to them. "GET DOWN!!!"

Everyone blinked in confusion upon hearing DK's sudden outburst. Get down? Get down from what, they thought. Luigi turned towards where DK looked to notice the orange coming at them.

"Is that an orange?" Luigi asked with a raised eyebrow. "What's so threatening about an orange?"

Candy and Cranky cringed back in fear upon hearing Luigi say "Orange." The two then noticed the orange was coming right towards them.

Cranky shouted at Luigi, "IT'S NOT AN ORDINARY ORANGE! THAT ORANGE IS PACKED WITH EXPLOSIVES!!"

"WHAT!?" Luigi cried hysterically. "EXPLOSIVES!? LET ME OUT HERE!! I'M TOO YOUNG TO BE REDUCED TO ASHES!!"

Sora and the gang quickly dove behind the counter just in the nick of time. The orange landed on the ground, and exploded upon contact. It released a powerful force that sent everyone flying into Cranky's cabinets. The explosion knocked everything over in the process. Ruble came down from the roof and crashed into the floor. The violent quake knocked cabinet and drawers over onto the ground. By the time the explosion died down, Cranky's lab was in ruin. There were tons of shattered beakers on the floor. Drawers and cabinet were either totally on the floor, or were leaning against the walls. Pieces of wood were also on the ground. Cranky's books were scattered all around the room, with some remaining either untouched or the pages were torn out and placed all over the ground. Smoke from the explosion still hovered slowly over the room, especially in the middle of the room.

Sora, Yoshi, Toadsworth, and the kongs slowly got themselves out from under the ruble, and brushed off any debris that was on them. They looked upon the ruined laboratory in astonishment and fear. How did a single piece of fruit manage to cause an explosion of epic perorations?

Sora just glared at the area with a blank expression on his face.

"That was not an orange," Sora said stunned. "That was the world's most spiciest mango!"

"Aw," Yoshi moaned dejected. "Couldn't Yoshi at least eaten it before it went boom?" Yoshi then noticed everyone glaring at him. "What?"

"Haven't you learned anything from this whole ordeal about eating?" Cranky said while waving his fist at the young dinosaur.

"Yes," Yoshi nodded. "Yoshi learned that to make eating more enjoyable, always chew slowly to get the full flavor of the taste."

Everyone groaned at Yoshi's absurd response to Cranky's question. Deciding not to deal with Yoshi now, Sora urgently turned his attention to DK.

"DK, what happened?" asked Sora. "How did that orange have the capability to explode?"

"Simple answer," DK responded as his fingers tightly gripped the table in despair. "Those oranges were packed with explosive! There's only one person I know that has the skill to pull it off."

Sora heard the sound of a male voice slowly fading in. The voice they heard was coming in from right in front of them. The voice sounded stern, and very strict like a general in the army giving out orders. In fact, the voice was singing a military cadence; something a general in an army would do with his troops.

"Hup two, three four," the voice chanted. "I am busting in the door. Five, six, seven, eight, who did I annihilate? Those furry fools, that's who!"

The group looked on as they noticed the silhouette of a round crocodile appearing from within the smoke. Soon enough the crocodile walked out from the smoke, making his appearance present to the gang. He was a round crocodile with green skin. On his head he wore a green army helmet, and the only clothing he wore was a black belt and a pair of boots. In his hand he felt the Crystal Coconut. He shifted his eyes towards the coconut with a look of satisfaction in his eyes.

"Mission accomplished!" the crocodile said to himself. "Operation Orange Blast was a complete success. I was able to infiltrate and demolish the innards of that old Kong's laboratory and send them all straight to oblivion. King K. Rool is sure to adulate me for being entirely effective in my plan to not only seize the Crystal Coconut, but to finally put those meddling monkeys out of their misery!"

Thinking that the crocodile assumed they were dead, Sora, Yoshi, Toadsworth, and the kongs quickly dove under a lab desk that was still stand up to get out of view from him. The seven slowly brought their heads up to get a view of the crocodile who was too busy patting himself on the back for the supposed impeccable mission he pulled off.

Yoshi turned to DK with a curious look, "Who that?"

"That's one of my arch-nemesis lackeys," DK whispered to Yoshi. "The so called high ranked General of King K. Rool's kremling crew. General Klump." He then darted his eyes left and right. "And knowing that good old blubber butt is on the scene, that means his fruit for brains pal Krusha isn't far behind."

"What are you waiting for Donkey Kong?" Cranky boomed right in DK's ear. "That bonehead Klump has the coconut! You're not going to let him get away, are you?"

DK winced in pain upon hearing Cranky's loud voice right in his ear. He thought his ear drum was going to tear right into two from the sheer power of Cranky's voice. DK quickly covered the old kong's mouth to shut him up. Only one thing went through DK's mind as he covered his grandfather's mouth; he was going to get it later on.

"Relax, Cranky," DK assured him. "We're gonna let him gloat to himself for a minute so that his guard is dropped. Then, when he least expects it..." He then slammed his first into the palm of his hand. "...we make our counterattack."

"Awesome idea, DK!" Sora said as he gave a thumbs up.

"See, even my big strong hero can come up with ideas some of the time." Candy cooed as she affectionately wrapped her arms around DK's chest.

DK blushed brightly and chuckled, "Aw, well...it's nothing."

A stern looked appeared in Sora's eyes, "Save the mushy stuff for when we're outta here. Right now, let's focus on getting that coconut back."

Sora, Yoshi, and DK slowly began to rise from behind the desk. Meanwhile, Klump looked around the room with an impatient expression on his face.

"Krusha!" he called out. "Krusha! Where are you? I order you to get your hide over here this instant!"

"Duh, I don't know where I am, General Klump," said a slow and low male voice. "All I see is smoke." He then started coughing. "And I can't stop coughing from it."

"Maybe that's because you're sucking the smoke in you ignoramus!" Klump shouted angrily at Krusha as he jumped up and down. "Attention! Turn your head towards the direction of my voice and march this way soldier! We've gotta regroup!"

Krusha hurried towards the direction of where Klump's voice was being projected. In a matter of seconds, everyone felt the floor vibrate from Krusha's powerful feet. Soon enough Klump saw the silhouette of another crocodile. Unlike Klump, this one was well built around the torso area and was taller than Klump. The general smiled upon seeing his comrade.

"Ah, there you are, Krusha!" Klump said. "Company halt!"

Krusha immediately tried to stop, but his feet slid across the floor towards Klump at a fast rate. Klump recoiled as he noticed Krusha was not stopping.

"Krusha!" Klump cried in panic while waving his arms frantically. "I said company..."

It was too late. Krusha ran right into General Klump, knocking him over in the process. Everyone else winced as they watched the collision take place. Luckily the collision was able to stop Krusha from sliding, but Klump was not so fortunate. The blue skinned crocodile gave a deep sigh, knowing he was able to stop from going any further.

"Phew," he said. "That was a close one. Whatever I bumped into stopped me from crashing." He then glanced around the room. "Klump? Klump? Where'd you go?"

"You're standing on top of me you big buffoon!" called a faint voice from bellow.

Krusha looked down to see he was standing on top of Klump's back. The general felt his spine slowly start to crumble to pieces before Krusha's great weight. Krusha quickly got off of his ally's back, and waited as Klump staggered around the area, trying to fully regain his balance. As he finally managed to stand back up, he placed his right hand on his back to try and ease the pain. Krusha innocently looked down at Klump.

"Gee, Klump, I'm sorry," Krusha apologized. "I was not aware I'd crash into you. Is your back alright?"

Klump grunted, "Oh, my back will be alright, soldier...after a couple of aspirin and hearing King K. Rool singing my praises." He then showed Klump the coconut. "I was able to apprehend the Crystal Coconut from those stupid simians and blow their brains out at the same time! King K. Rool is sure to be proud of me for the use of my military genius and proud of you for your...uh...what exactly did you do again Krusha?"

"You told me to wait outside and keep a look out for any intruders," Krusha reminded him. This whole time Krusha had his hands behind his back. He then brought his hands forward to reveal that he was holding some things, or rather, some living things. "And I happened to find these two little twerps wandering around outside."

Sora and DK were about to strike when they stopped to notice what Krusha was holding. Everyone one, especially Donkey Kong felt their jaw drop in shock upon seeing who Krusha had in his hands. In both hands, he had both Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong by the back of their shirt collars. The two were screaming and yelling, demanding freedom. Something started to spark in DK. It was a flame of rage that started as a small flame, but rose to a large fire. DK's body trembled in anger as he watched his little buddy and his girlfriend get abducted by the Kremlings.

"Why those slimy, sneaky, no good pieces of luggage," DK snarled with a vicious tone in his voice. "I'll pulverize them!"

DK was about to make his move when he felt something firmly grip his shoulder. He turned around to see that Sora was the one responsible.

"Wait!" Sora cried. "Hold up, big guy!"

"Lemme go!" DK ordered Sora with a bit of spite. "I gotta help, Diddy!"

"Not like this, DK!" Sora told him. "If we try to attack them now, there's a chance we could make the situation worse and endanger both Diddy and Dixie's lives."

"But..." DK tried to protest.

"Donkey Kong, Sora's right," Cranky said sternly. "Sometimes we need to think about the actions we're gonna make before we take them. Something you need to learn more about."

DK reluctantly brought his entire body back down to the table and turned to the group with a sad look in his eyes.

"I guess so," said a now calm DK. "But what are we gonna do?"

Cranky was about to answer when they heard Klump laugh out loud.

"Excellent work, Krusha!" Klump said happily. He then patted his head. "Even you can come up with some good ideas once in awhile. King K. Rool would sure love some prisoners even before he gains total domination of Kongo Bongo."

"Yeah, and he takes it over, too." Krusha replied stupidly.

"The only thing that's going to be dominated is your sorry butts when DK finds out about this!" Diddy shouted at the Kremlings whilst waving his arms and feet around, struggling to get free. "Let us go!"

Klump brought his eyes down to Diddy's level and gave him a smug look.

"Sorry, maggot," Klump sniggered. "I'm not permitted to take orders from a subordinate little runt such as yourself. Besides, your friend has been finally taken out of the picture!"

"Fat chance, fat stuff!" Dixie cried. "An explosion from you dorks could never take Donkey Kong out!"

"Heh, I'm amused to see you're clinging onto false hope," Klump laughed. "I'm sure King K. Rool will love to make you squirm." He then turned to Krusha. "Krusha! Let's return to the base immediately and inform his most repulsiveness of the good news."

"Yeah, and while we're at it, do you think we can get something to eat, too?" Krusha asked. "I haven't eaten since breakfast."

"Oh, you and your immense appetite!" Klump said with a frown. "Can't you wait until we at least return to headquarters?"

"But I'm hungry!" Krusha complained. "I want food now!"

"Oh, alright," Klump complied as he slumped his shoulders. "Quit your yammering you air head! Just grab a few bananas on the way over there."

Krusha stuck his tongue out in disgust, "Ew! I hate bananas! They're...good for you."

"Affirmative," Klump agreed. "And we did not come here to be good." He then walked towards the door. "Alright, Krusha! Move out!"

The two kremlings headed out the door with the two Kong kids screaming for help. As they went out, Klump did another military cadence.

"Hip, hup, hip, hup!" Klump began.

"We finally got to coconut!" Krusha finished.

The boys, Toadsworth, and the kongs watched as the two Kremlings left the laboratory, constantly repeating the same chant. They made sure to wait until their voices started to fade away. They then stood up from behind the desk.

"This is terrible!" Toadsworth cried. "Not only did those fiends abducted the coconut, but they also kidnaped those innocent children."

"What we do now?" Yoshi asked.

"We gotta save them, and get the coconut!" DK told Yoshi. He then turned back towards the door with a vicious glare in his eyes. "This time K. Rool has gone too far! I won't let him take over Kongo Bongo, but I'll REALLY make sure he doesn't lay even the slightest finger on my little buddy!"

"Yeah, you tell them!" Sora cheered with excitement. "And we're coming to help you, too."

DK turned to Sora upon hearing that.

"Hold on, Sora!" DK stopped the boy from being excited. "I think I should be able to manage this on my own. Besides, you have your friend back, so aren't you thinking about leaving?"

Sora grinned, "You kidding? There's no way we're gonna let you go it alone!"

DK was stunned. Sora was willing to go out of his way to help him fight King K. Rool.

"But...why?" DK asked in amazement.

"Hey, you don't need a reason to help someone," Sora explained. "Besides, think of it as returning the favor for all your help in finding Yoshi."

"The boy is right," Cranky agreed. "You might be a super strong primate, but sometimes strength in numbers can make a huge difference."

"We help DK beat bad guys!" Yoshi said as he put his first up with a smirk.

"Also, the heartless might give you trouble, too," Sora added. He then smiled. "So, we're coming along and that's final!"

DK could not believe that Sora and his friends were willing to put their lives on the line just to help DK retrieve the coconut and his friends. He did not want to endanger Sora's life, but at the same time he understood what Sora was saying. He might have trouble with the heartless, so maybe he could use some help. DK then let out a warm smile and brushed Sora's spiky hair with his gigantic hand.

"Thanks, Sora," DK said in appreciation. "You're right. With you guys by my side, we'll get the coconut back in no time."

"Then let's go!" Sora cried heroically.

"Hold on a second, Master Sora," Toadsworth intervened. "In case you haven't noticed, Master Luigi is no where in site."

All of a sudden, the group heard a cabinet door open from the left side of them. They all turned towards the direction to notice Luigi sticking his head out from a big drawer in a cabinet.

"Did someone call me?" Luigi said.

"Hey, Luigi," DK greeted the plumber. "We need to get the coconut back from King K. Rool's lair!"

Luigi nodded, "Alrighty! You can count on me to help!" He then started to make his way out. "How exactly do we get there?"

"We need to head towards the deepest, darkest, and most dangerous part of Kongo Bongo." DK told Luigi.

The green glad plumber stopped dead in his tracks upon hearing that. Deepest, darkest, and most dangerous were some of his least favorite words when they were all said in the same sentence. Luigi fearfully turned around and leaped back into the cabinet. He then quickly took the two doors and shut himself in it. Sora moaned for Luigi once again being his old, cowardly self.

"I'm sorry," Luigi said with a panicked voice. "The plumber you are trying to reach is unavailable at the moment. Please try again in the next century or two!"

Sora walked over to the cabinet and bent over to the doors.

"Luigi, can't you be afraid some other time?" Sora groaned. "We have work to do!"

"No way, kid!" Luigi shouted. "I'm not going out there!"

Not wanting to waste anytime getting Luigi out, Sora called Yoshi over to the cabinet. He then promptly told him to open the doors and get Luigi. Yoshi nodded and quickly opened the doors. He then grabbed a hold of Luigi's legs, and dragged him out from the cabinet and out the front door, with Luigi complaining all the way. Toadsworth followed them out. Sora then made his way towards the door as well when he stopped to see something on the floor. He noticed it was a familiar yellow card. Picking it up, he noticed it was another "key" card needed to advance through the world. He then placed it in his pocket and ran out the door. DK turned to Candy and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

"Candy, I promise that I'll come back," DK said with a serious tone his voice. "And I'll try to remember our dates from now on. You mean the world to me, baby, and I don't want to lose you."

Candy gently stroked his cheek, "I don't want to lose you either, DK. You mean the whole world to me, and I may get upset about some of the things to you, but there's no other ape I'd want to be with. You're the only one for me and I love you."

They brought their lips together again, this time for one long passionate kiss. They felt their lips gently push into each other as they held it their for a few seconds. Both of them felt that they were in heaven at that moment. The feelings they were experiencing from this kiss was so powerful that it was indescribable. However, it was short lived when he felt a familiar wooden cane bonk him back into reality. He turned to see Cranky waving his fist angrily.

"You can get all romantic with Candy later, you banana brain!" Cranky shouted. "Right now you need to get out of here! And don't come back until you have Diddy, Dixie, and the coconut!"

DK made his famous grin, "You got it, Cranky!" He then turned towards the door and spread his arms. "You better watch out K. Rool, 'cause here comes Donkey Kong!" He then ran out the door, shouting out, "Banana Slamma!"

The two kongs watched as their future ruler and savor of Kongo Bongo headed out the door to stop K. Rool's plans. Candy walked over to the door and watched as the love of her life went to put himself in harm's way.

"Be careful, DK." she whispered gently.

Cranky walked over to Candy, "C'mon, Candy. We better start cleaning up this mess those numbskulls left us."

As Cranky went to get a mop, he stopped and turned his head back towards the door. While he was always constantly annoyed by Donkey Kong, deep down he was truly proud of his grandson for become a true hero. DK had strength, talent, intellge...skill, but the biggest thing DK had was a heart of gold for every living creature. That was the sign of a true ruler. A true ruler was someone who cared for everything he looked down upon, and his one goal in life was to make sure his people lived long and prosperous lives. Cranky let out a proud smile.

"Go get them, Donkey Kong," Cranky said. "My boy."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sora jerked his head left, just narrowly avoiding the sharp claws of a soldier heartless. Pieces of Sora's hair were proof as to how close he was to getting his face shredded like cheese. The creature of darkness leaped onto the ground and quickly leaped up to attack the boy again. Gripping the handle of the keyblade tightly with both hands, he horizontally slashed the creature into two with one swift movement. While the gang made their way towards K. Rool's lair, the heartless once again attacked the heros. Sora noticed two powerwilds coming from his left while two soldiers came from his right. The boy knew he was cornered, so he had to think of something...and fast! He looked around to see if there was something he could use to get away, but to his dismay he could not find anything. Just when things looked hopeless, he looked directly up to see a green vine.

The two groups of heartless leaped for Sora who leaped into the air, and grabbed the vine, avoiding the heartless in the process. The four heartless then bunted heads with one another and fell down. Sora needed to get the vine swinging so he started kicking his feet forward to get the vine moving like a pendulum. As he pushed forward, the four heartless recovered from the impact to the heads, and looked up to see Sora starting to swing on the vine. The soldier heartless on the right leaped into the air and spun his body around like a top. It then flew right at the key bearer, who noticed this. Sora quickly used every ounce of his strength and jerked his body right to avoid the attack. As he came back in, the vine spun around which made him turn to face the other way. A powerwild also tried to attack him while Sora was turned around, but Sora kicked it away with his right foot. He then pulled himself up even more on the vine to avoid another attack that came from below. He then leaped off of the vine and did a dodge roll upon hitting the ground. As he stood up, he quickly brought his keyblade down on the powerwild in front of him, and destroyed it. The powerwild he kicked off from before came in and rammed him in the stomach with his head.

The impact knocked Sora a short distance from the battle zone. He felt his spine jolt as he hit the ground. He looked up to see the two soldiers and one powerwild leap in from the sky. Sora scrambled to his feet, and put his blade up with his right hand to block all three of their attacks. He then put his left hand on the blade and used all of his strength to push all three of them off. The powerful force from Sora sent the three heartless flying in separate directions. However, one of the soldiers managed to land on his feet, and it charged for Sora again. The boy ran for it while the heartless chased him. He was unaware that the other two heartless also got to their feet and were coming at him from each side. Sora noticed that the heartless was gaining on him with each passing second. Sora then turned around and pointed his keyblade at the heartless, firing two fire spells at it, followed by throwing the keyblade at it. All of a sudden, Sora felt the presences of the powerwild and he quickly move his head forward to dodge the incoming attack. While it was in the center of his back, Sora brought his arm up and hit it in the face with the back of his fist. As he did, he sensed the presents of the soldier from the opposite side. This time he jerked his chest back to dodge the other heartless. He then clasped his hands together and hammered it from the left side, knocking it away.

Meanwhile, the soldier that was pursuing Sora from in front leaped over the first fireball, and ducked under the second fireball, but he was cut to ribbons by the keyblade. Sora then called his keyblade back to his hand, and ran for the heartless directly behind him. Unexpectedly, five more heartless appeared right in front of him. Sora came to a halt and turned the other way. As he ran from the new heartless that had appeared, he noticed a green card on the ground. He picked up the card to notice it had a picture of Yoshi on it. Holding the card out, he shouted out Yoshi's name. A bright light illuminated the area as the card grew bright. Seconds later the light dimmed and Yoshi arrived on the scene with a tough guy look.

"I here to kick butt and chew bubble gum!" Yoshi said. "And I all out of gum!"

Sora rolled his eyes with a chuckle at what Yoshi said. The young dinosaur leaped into the air and curled into a ball. He then turned into a giant egg with green spots. The heartless stopped as they saw the giant egg coming right at them. They quickly turned the other way and hightailed it out of here. The egg rolled on the ground, and chased the heartless all around the area. While Yoshi was doing that, Sora took the chance to dispose of the two remaining heartless by slashing them unceremoniously across the head. The chase between the powerwilds and Yoshi continued until they stopped at a tree. They turned back to see that the egg was still coming towards them. Thinking quickly, the heartless jumped up to avoid the egg. The egg rolled into the tree, but instead of crashing into it, the egg defied the laws of physics and rolled onto the tree. The heartless were too busy taking it easy to notice. As the egg rolled up the tree, it came across a branch and rolled across the bottom of it. Yoshi then came out from the egg and hovered right over the heartless. He then did one more flip, and plummeted straight down towards the heartless with his bottom facing them. The heartless, who were all close to each other were about to split up when they heard Yoshi's voice.

"Time to go bye-bye!" Yoshi cried.

The heartless looked up, only to see Yoshi coming in from above and squashing them with his bottom. As Yoshi hit the ground, black dust emerged from the heartless that he squashed. Sora ran over to Yoshi and bent over to him.

"Good job, little buddy," Sora congratulated Yoshi. "Guess those heartless were at the 'end' of their life."

Yoshi just giggled, "Sora need to stop listening to Luigi's jokes."

"Hey!" Sora said as he playfully rubbed Yoshi's' head with his fist. "I'm way better than Luigi!"

"Sora, anyone can do jokes better than Luigi." Yoshi pointed out.

Sora nodded, "Very true indeed." He then turned back to the jungle. "C'mon! Diddy and Dixie need our help!"

Yoshi returned back to his card form, and both Sora and Toadsworth continued on their way. On the way the group encountered more heartless. Sora used all of his fighting techniques and card combos to defeat each one. He also summoned Luigi, Yoshi, and Donkey Kong into battle. Yoshi ate his way through them, Luigi used the P3000 to suck them up, and DK used his coconut gun to knock them out. As Sora continued running through each room (while it maybe outside, the laws of the castle create each area inside a room) he noticed that there was a train track in each one. Thinking that it may take him to K. Rool's lair, he decided to follow the trail. After going through a few more doors, he finally arrived at a giant white cave from within the trees. Sora noticed that the train tracks went inside the cave. However, the only problem with getting in the cave was it was covered by a giant golden door. The spiky haired boy knew there was only one option. Taking the golden card from out of his pocket, he held it up high into the air and the door responded to the presents of the card. The door then started to slowly to creep its way open. Sora waited as the door finished opening completely, so that he could enter it. When it finally opened, he hurried into it, hoping he was not too late.

**To Be Concluded...**

A/N: That's the end of part II. I had to cut it off there because I'm really trying to limit how much I write for one chapter, but at the same I love to write in detail. Also, since I'm doing a chapter entirely from scratch I have to think up everything and describe everything. The concluding chapter will be short as it will be the battle and conclusion of the Kongo Bongo world. Afterward we'll take a small break from Sora's story and focus on Riku for a little bit. I will work on the concluding chapter this weekend and have it up by then, so sit tight. Sorry for the really long wait, guys. To be honest I was being a bit lazy during the summer, and I was spending time with my family, but since school has started again I have the motivation to continue, and hopefully I can work I writing shorter chapters. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.


	10. Banana Brawl Part III

A/N: (Hums the theme to 2001: A Space Odyssey) It arises from the grave as it shoves it self through the hard soil, and it reaches for the warm light that shines on it brightly. Slowly but surely, it pushes out from the endless abyss of darkness and it embraces the warmth of the light that gazes upon it. Okay, what I am basically saying here is that Chain of Memories: The Nintendo Version has finally arose from it's long solitude of silence. Due to real life issues, every one of my stories were put on hold. To make a long story short, I was suffering from depression and it prevented me from doing the many things I love; fanfiction included. Thankfully, I sought out help and I finally have enough motivation again to continue. To everyone on fanfiction, I truly am sorry. I kept you guys in suspense for too long, and that was not right of me. If you given up on my story then I completely understand. For those of you that haven't given up on it, then I thank you for all the support. So here is the conclusion of the Kongo Bongo chapter.

**Chapter VIII: Banana Brawl **

After leaving Cranky's laboratory, Krusha and Klump made their way back to King K. Rool's lair with the crystal coconut and the two kongs in their possession. The journey back was not hard for the two kremlings because they had a way to get back to the lair relatively fast. When the inhabitants of Kongo Bongo first began to build their homes after they gained intelligence, they decided to build a mine cart which would be the official transit system for the island. They did hours and hours of arduous labor to dig many holes that went in many different directions; the holes would lead to many different areas of the jungle. It took a long time, but in the end it payed off as they finally created a mine cart system that went all over the island. King K. Rool took this chance as an opportunity to build his own tracks that would go directly to his lair, so that he and his minions could make a quick escape from their enemies; and it was efficient most of the time.

The inside of the cave was a large area with metal pipes that were above the ceiling. Scattered throughout the room were green boxes that piled up one another. When you entered the cave, you would see three train tracks that went straight down to the middle of the room. One track would come from the outside of the cave. As one would follow the tracks in the cave they would notice two more tracks coming into view. These tracks would have bumpers at the end of them, allowing the mind cart to stop right at them upon impact. The three tracks went down towards the center of the room, where there was a small round turntable that would connect the three tracks. A few inches away from the turntable was a gray platform that had a giant tall stone face in the background. On each side of the platform there were a pair of giant yellow spikes that curved inward towards each other.

A light rumbling sound could be heard throughout the empty lair of King K.Rool. It sounded like wheels clinking and clanging on a mine cart track. Soon enough, from the entrance of the lair, a lone mine cart came in and road down the rails; it road all the way towards the turntable. This mine cart was not vacant, as two familiar slimy reptiles were riding it with dignified looks on their faces. It was none other than Krusha and General Klump returning from their mission. Klump pulled the break on the mine cart, causing it to come to a screeching halt about a few feet away from the turn table. The two kremlings leaped out of the cart and approached the turn table. Klump currently had the Crystal Coconut hidden within his helmet for safe keeping. Both he and Krusha approached platform, marching proudly.

Back inside the cart were the two Kong kids; their wrists tied together by a rope and their mouths covered by white napkins. They wiggled around inside the cart like worms as they desperately tried to get the ropes loose, but to their dismay, it was too tight on them.

Both Kong kids whimpered in fear as they wondered what was going to become of them. At this point, they were not enthusiastic to find out. They were trembling in fear as they remained alone in the mine cart. At one point Dixie started to cry, but Diddy slid over to her and nudged her face with his face to keep her company, and tell her everything would be okay.

Unbeknownst to anyone, the kremlings and the kong kids were not the only ones in the cave. Back at the entrance, five familiar characters have snuck their way into the lair, and they have secluded themselves behind the stacked boxes that were some ways down from the entrance of the room. It was none other than Sora's group. The five peaked their heads out from each side of the boxes. Luigi and Yoshi peaked out on the left side while Toadsworth peaked out on the right. Sora and DK peaked their heads in from above the boxes. They all watched the events unfold. DK could not bare hearing Diddy and Dixie's frightened whimpers. His hands gripped the medal surface as his eyes were forced to look upon this horrible site. He then turned to Sora, hoping that they could make their move soon.

"Sora, when are we gonna strike?" DK whispered to him.

Sora turned to DK, whispering back, "When they least expect it. We gotta make sure they are distracted long enough so that we can rescue Diddy and Dixie. That way we won't endanger their lives, and then we can take care of those Kremling creeps without a problem."

"Doth my ears deceive me?" Luigi gasped in a sarcastic tone. "Did you actually THINK up an idea for once instead of running aimlessly into battle? It's a miracle! Praise the lord! You should get a cookie for that."

Sora narrowed his eyes at Luigi in anger for letting that insult slap him right in the face. It was true; there were moments where he did not think before he acted, but he did not need Luigi mentioning his personal flaw out loud and in front of the others.

"Luigi, don't make me come over there," Sora hissed at his ally in anger. "'Cause I'll see to it that you'll never touch a plate of spaghetti again."

"Hey, I just tell it like I see it." Luigi replied in defense.

Toadsworth quickly intervened in order to put an end to their bickering.

"Masters," Toadsworth spoke up with a stern tone in his voice. "Please desist this nonsensical dispute immediately. We have to rescue the children and get the Crystal Coconut back in our grasp."

After Sora and Luigi quickly made amends with one another, everyone returned their attention to K. Rool's lackeys. The five remained perfectly silent as they watched the two Kremlings walk towards the center of the room with lifted spirits. In fact, General Klump was humming a happy tune to himself, as he was proud for completing the mission.

"Oh, boy!" said an ecstatic Klump. "King K. Rool is sure to handsomely reward me...erm...I mean us for executing our strategy perfectly."

Krusha frowned at his comrade. While he was not the brightest bulb of the group, he was able to acknowledge that Klump was trying to hog all of the credit. The big reptile crossed his arms and lightly tapped his foot on the ground as he glowered at the general.

"Uh...now wait a minute, Klump," Krusha said sternly. "I helped catch those two little twerps, so it's only fair that King. K Rool rewards us both."

Klump flinched; he walked right into that one. He had to reassure Krusha that he too would get a reward for his effort in abducting the Crystal Coconut.

"Why...of course you will, my physically fit friend," Klump replied as he gave his comrade a pat on the back. "It goes without saying that for every great general, there needs to be a great private. You put a lot of valiant effort into capturing Donkey Kong's companions, and I am more than confident that K. Rool will reward you handsomely."

Krusha, taking Klump's lie to heart, smiled. He was happy to receive such flattery from his ally.

"Aw, okay, Klump," Krusha said, now reassured. "I could always use a new bench press anyways. I need to work my abs; my pecs, arms, and my gluts."

Klump cringed in disgust upon hearing what Krusha wanted to work on. He did not need to hear that! Just thinking about it made his stomach churn faster than a washing machine.

"Hey, watch your tongue, maggot! That's a T.M.I right there!" Klump scowled at Krusha in rage. "You're out of line!"

Krusha scratched his head in confusion, "T.M.I?"

"Too much information." Klump relied with an informative tone in his voice.

Krusha sighed to himself, "I hate acronyms. That's why I stopped reading fanfiction."

"Shut it, you insubordinate..." Klump said as he started to scorn him again.

Suddenly, he was cut off by the sound of another male voice coming directly from above. This voice sounded sinister compared to the goofy tones of Krusha and Klump. Donkey Kong could already feel the adrenalin coursing through his entire body, causing his heart rate to increase so much that he thought it was going to jump into his throat. He instantly knew who that voice belonged too. It belonged to a voice that haunted the darkest parts of Donkey Kong's mind; a voice that bounded him to the very soils of the earth. A voice that slithered into his ear like a snake and never left his brain. It was the voice of his arch-nemesis...King K. Rool.

"Klump?" the voice called out from the ceiling above. "Is that you I hear blathering away like an imbecile?"

Klump gasped upon hearing his fearless leader address him. The general turned his attention towards the ceiling with his hands placed at his sides like a wooden soldier, and his feet firmly placed together. Sora could hear the general's voice tremble as he spoke up. However, Klump tried not to let his boss hear the fear in his voice, so he did what he could to articulate.

"Y-yes, your repulsiveness," Klump spoke up as he cleared his throat. "General Klump reporting from the assigned mission, sir!"

"And please tell me Krusha is with you this time," K. Rool added with a groan. "I do not want to hear that his head is stuck in anything again."

"Duh, nope," Krusha confirmed to the Kremling King as he patted his head. "My head is intact."

"Good, good," K. Rool replied with a devious tone in his voice. "Now, did you complete the mission?"

"Affirmative, sir," Klump said with a dignified look in his eyes. "We infiltrated Cranky Kong's laboratory; commenced our sneak attack, blew up the laboratory, snatched the coconut, and made it back by fifteen-hundred hours."

A shocked expression appeared on Krusha's face. It took them fifteen-hundred hours to get back to the lair?

"Wait, how could it could it have taken us fifteen hundred hours to get back?" Krusha exclaimed with widen eyes. "If it was fifteen hundred, then that was the quickest fifteen-hundred hours I've ever been though."

Klump smacked his forehead, "No, you thick-headed oaf! Fifteen-hundred hours is military talk for..."

"SILENCE!!" K.rool boomed out from above.

The two kremlings jumped back in trepidation upon hearing their master's abrupt interruption. The group could suddenly hear the sound of a mechanical noise whirring. The sound was coming from right above them. Everyone focused their gaze on the ceiling, only to be startled by seeing a part of the ceiling separate. The piece was a round metal circle and it slowly hovered down from above. As it got closer to the ground, Sora could notice someone standing on it.

As the platform was about to reach the ground, the gang noticed who or what was it. It was a large anthropomorphic crocodile that was very round and plump. His skin was as green as an emerald that was found in the mines. The beams that were above reflected off of his golden underbelly, which had an outward belly-button. On each wrist he wore golden cufflinks that were as gold as his chest. Resting on the top of his head was a golden crown. Sora figured that this crocodile must have a plethora of gold coins based upon all that gold he was wearing. Sora could also notice that the crocodile donned a red cape that blew in the wind.

Sora turned to Donkey Kong, only to notice a look of rage in his eyes. This guy was clearly the leader of the Kremling Crew.

"So that must be King K. Rool." Sora said.

DK turned to Sora, "That's him alright. The nastiest reptile to ever set foot on the island. Captain Scurvy and his bumbling crew got nothing on this guy. He is a master manipulator; he constantly tries to trick us into coaxing over the coconut. He also likes to dress up for some reason. I remember when he kidnaped me one time; he dressed up as a pirate. Then, there was that other time he decided to become a mad scientist, though that didn't suit him well either after Dixie beat him."

Luigi, who was looking over K.rool, noticed that his left eye was inflamed. Luigi cringed back in disgust upon seeing the red veins sticking out of it. The green clad plumber then turned to Donkey Kong with an inquisitive expression.

"Hey, what's with the bloodshot eye?" Luigi asked.

"Oh, that," DK said as his lips formed into a wise guy grin. "That'd be my doing. See, I accidently hit him in the eye with juice from a banana one time. Keep in mind that the bananas are magical, so it caused his eye to pop up like a balloon." He turned back to K.Rool while chucking. "He never did get over it; he said it ruined his chances with the ladies."

Luigi lightly snorted, "Yeah. If they saw him, he would be a sight for sore eyes."

Everyone groaned at yet another corny Luigi joke. DK turned to Sora with an annoyed look.

"How do you put up with those jokes?" DK asked Sora with a moan.

Sora just shrugged, "Good question. I'm still trying to figure that one out. If you have any suggestions, feel free to let me know."

Meanwhile, the platform King. K Rool was standing on landed on the ground, and the so called king disembarked from the platform. Both of his henchmen approached their master in both nervousness and excitement.

"Enough of this idle talk," K. Rool said as he approached the edge of the platform. He excitingly tapped his fingers together. "Did you bring me the Crystal Coconut?"

General Klump took off his helmet and removed the crystal coconut that resided within it. He then held it before his glorious leader. King K. Rool's eyes sparkled with glee upon seeing the coconut. It was such a beautiful sight as it glowed a beautiful silver light. K. Rool could already feel his scaley hands touching its hard surface..He was already picturing himself ruling over the entire island with an iron fist. He could hear the sounds of the inhabitants calling out his name in high esteem. The sounds of anguish delighted his ears, as he could imagine the kongs becoming his slaves, waiting on him hand and foot. Power was the only thing his mind could compute at that moment.

After many abortive attempts to get the coconut, he was thrilled to see that it was finally within his grasp. He squealed in delight as he snatched it out of Klump's hands and held it up in the air in triumph. He then let out a maniacal laugh.

"YES!!" K. Rool cried in excitement. "At long last, the crystal coconut is mine!! Oh, how I longed for this day!" He then brought it back down to his eye level. "With the coconut in my possession, I shall finally take over this chimp infested wasteland, and rebuild it into a world where I will rule it all!"

"And it gets better, sir." General Klump said eagerly.

K. Rool was taken back by what he heard. It gets better? He was surprised; normally, Krusha and Klump could only do one thing right.

"Better?" K. Rool inquired as he glared at his comrade with an intrigued look. "You mean...you actually managed to do something right...twice in a row? Oh, someone pinch me; I must be dreaming." He quickly darted his eyes towards Krusha, who was actually about to pinch him. "And I mean that figuratively. Don't even think about laying your claws on me."

Krusha shook his head, "N-no, sir."

"But I digress," K. Rool said. He then turned back to Klump. "So, Klump, you managed to do something else right?"

"Why yes we did, your viciousness," Klump said proudly. "Our strategy not only gained us access to the coconut, but it also allowed us to eliminate Donkey Kong once and for all."

K. Rool's eyes lit up upon hearing that. Donkey Kong eliminated? He never thought he would see the day where his arch-nemesis was finally taken out of the picture. K. Rool felt his heart rate rise in excitement; Donkey Kong was no more! He then started to laugh in excitement.

"Superb!" K. Rool cried out in joy. "Finally...after so many failed attempts, Donkey Kong is finally dead! Oh, this is turning out to be the best day of my life! For far too long he has stood between me and glory, but he shall not be a problem anymore. I am finally free to take over Kongo Bongo, and no one can stop me!"

Both of K.Rool's henchmen looked at each other in excitement. They were delighted to see that there fearless leader was pleased, because they hardly delighted him. K. Rool began spinning around the room in glee as he held the coconut up in the air.

Donkey Kong wanted to badly inflict pain upon K. Rool just for seeing him act so selfish and greedy. It was something he could not stand.

K. Rool then turned his attention back towards his henchmen, who were looking at him with anticipated expressions. He could tell they wanted something for all of their hard work on the mission.

"I suppose I should reward you two for a job well done, huh?" K. Rool said with a calm expression towards his minions.

Klump brought his feet together again and nodded towards his leader.

"Yes, sir," Klump said with a strong tone in his voice. "A reward would be sufficient to satisfy our mission."

"Uh..can I have a new bench press now?" Krusha asked in excitement.

Klump elbowed Krusha in the stomach for saying that. He did not want Krusha to ruin their chances of not getting a reward. Meanwhile, K. Rool scratched his chin in deep thought for a moment to think of a proper reward. An idea then hit his head like a hammer hitting a nail.

"Ah!" K. Rool said as he lifted one finger into the air. "I know the perfect reward for you two." Krusha and Klump rubbed their hands with glee. "After all, you are my most loyal servants; you should only get the best reward fit for a king."

Krusha and Klump felt their tongues drool just from hearing that. A reward fit for a king was something not to be taken lightly. It was probably going to be gold, jewels, and diamonds. Or maybe they would get to own their own part of the island. Either way, they could already taste the reward slide down their slimy throats.

"And I'll give you two different choices for your reward," K. Rool proclaimed. "The first reward is you'll get the pleasure, and I must say it is a true honor, to sing my praises for me finally eliminating Donkey Kong."

Krusha and Klump slumped their shoulders in disappointment. That was not the reward they had in my mind. At that moment they could only imagine what the other reward would be.

"Um, sire," Krusha said as his voice cracked up in nervousness. "If I may humbly ask you, what is the other option?"

K. Rool smirked, "I'm glad you asked. The other reward I'm offering you is the chance to kiss my royal feet for a whole minute. What'll it be? Oh, and you can't back out of choosing..." His voice then turned from a happy tone into a menacing tone. "Or else."

The two Kremlings both gulped nervously upon hearing their fearless leader's change in voice. It looked like they had to accept one of his rewards without hesitation. Out of both of the options, they knew that there was only one choice they could make. Besides, they were not planning on kissing feet that have not been washed in over two decades.

They then started singing to the tune of 'London Bridge is Falling Down.'

"King K. Rool is the best, is the best, is the best," they sang together harmoniously. "King K. Rool is the best because he finally beat Donkey!"

"Again!" K. Rool said demandingly as he pointed at them.

While the two continued singing, K. Rool started to dance around the area while holding the coconut up high. This was the perfect chance for Sora's group to make their move. DK quickly got up from behind the box and turned to the others.

"Now's our chance, guys," Donkey Kong announced while he whispered. "And I got an idea on how we can give Krusha and Klump the boot from this place."

Luigi became concerned about the great ape formulating a plan. DK was much like Sora at times; he ran into battle without even thinking things through. From the looks of things, this was DK's first time constructing an actual plan. The plumber was not too sure if DK could pull it off.

"A plan?" Luigi asked him. "Are you sure about this?"

DK nodded to Luigi with a sincere look in his eyes.

"I'm more than positive," DK said with a look of determination. "If I am to be the future ruler of Kong Bongo, then I gotta start thinking like a ruler."

Luigi nodded, "I'll take your word for it then."

"We got your back, DK," Sora said as gave a wink at his friend. "Just tell us what to do and we'll do it."

"Alright then," DK cried out with confidence. He then veered his head towards Toadsworth and Luigi. "You two stay here to watch our backs." He then waved his hand towards Sora and Yoshi. "You two come with me."

Sora and Yoshi nodded in compliance as DK headed towards the mine cart that contained the captive kong kids. Both of them were still scared stiff. They could only expect the worst to happen to them. Their bodies trembled violently as they waited for their fates to be decided. Diddy tried to break himself free from the ropes, but they were too tight around his furry wrists and calves. It was inevitable; there was no way to escape the Kremlings' clutches. Suddenly, he felt something touch his shoulder gently. He felt chills go down his spine; they were about to grab him! He shut his eyes, not wanting to see what they would do to him. He then felt the napkin become untied from the back of his head. Soon enough, it slowly fell off. He was too afraid to say something insulting to the kremlings right now. He then heard a familiar voice call out to him.

"Little buddy," DK said gently. "Take it easy. It's only me."

Diddy felt his heart skip a beat in surprise. Was it really DK? Diddy turned around to see a familiar ape with the strength of ten men but a heart full of gold looking at him with a relieved smile. It was him! Donkey Kong was alive, and he was here to save the day!

"Donkey..." Diddy began to shout out.

DK quickly covered Diddy's mouth to avoid drawing attention towards them.

"Shh," DK shushed him. "Keep it down little buddy, or else they'll spot us."

DK removed his giant hand from Diddy, who chuckled in embarrassment.

"Oops, sorry, big guy," Diddy grinned uneasily. "But I am so happy to see you're alive. I knew those bozos could never take you down."

DK smirked, "Heh. Did you honestly think one measly little orange could slow ol' DK down?"

Sora and Yoshi approached the other side of the mine cart and helped Dixie out of her side. They then untied the Kong kids from their ropes, finally freeing them. Diddy then ran up to his partner and gave him a high five.

"You're the man, DK," Diddy said happily. "Thanks for getting us outta there. I think I would have lost my lunch if I had to endure the smell of those greasy crocodiles for another minute."

"No prob, kid," DK replied with his famous grin. "Now you gotta split, little buddy. Things are about to get ugly."

Diddy was shocked by what he just heard. DK did not want his help to stop the kremlings? Ever since the beginning of time the two of them have prevailed over the Kremlings together. He always felt proud to be DK's sidekick, and he had always helped his big buddy get out of the most dire situations. He could not believe what DK was saying to him. It made him feel like DK lost faith in the young chimp. It was like his heart was smashed into a million pieces, and the fragments of joy from each of them disintegrated into a pile of dust.

"W-what?" Diddy gasped in shock. He then lowed his head. "But...we're a team, DK."

DK felt bad that he upset his friend. He knew that Diddy had always been a tremendous help to him whenever he engaged in battle with K. Rool and his men. However, for just this one time, he had to make sure that Diddy was out of harm's way. Moreover, he knew that both Candy and Cranky would have problems contending with the heartless if they invaded the lab. Someone needed to go back to help out, and Diddy was the perfect candidate. DK placed his big hands on Diddy's little shoulders with an affable smile.

"Listen, little buddy," DK said kindly. "I know we're a team and all, but this is going to be dangerous."

"I know that, but we've been in worse situations before," Diddy protested. "How is this any different?"

Sora spoke up for DK, "'Cause we're dealing with creatures that have a lot power. They're not to be taken lightly."

"Also, I'm worried about the safety of Cranky and Candy," DK added with a sincere look in his eyes. "Those things may invade the lab, and I'm sure they can't take them by themselves. They need help, Diddy. You're only one I know that can put up a good fight."

Diddy smiled upon hearing that. Perhaps DK did not lose faith in him at all. It then dawned on him that maybe his assistance was required elsewhere. Diddy then nodded to his friend in compliance.

"You're right, big guy," Diddy nodded understandingly. "Okay, I'll do it!"

DK then rubbed his friend's head with a chuckle, "That's my little buddy."

"Be careful, DK." Diddy advised him.

DK gave his friend a confident wink, "Don't worry. I'm always careful."

Yoshi noticed that the Kremlings were beginning to grow tired of singing K. Rool's praises. They were on the verge of losing their minds from singing the same thing over and over again. It was making their brains go numb with pain just from hearing it.

"Sir," Klump moaned in annoyance. "May we desist this singing?"

K. Rool placed hand on his chin to rub it. He gave it some thought for about a second before he replied to the General's plea.

"After one more time of singing it." K. Rool declared.

Krusha groaned, "Couldn't we wait for the album to come out?"

"NO!" K. Rool shouted at Krusha. "Either you sing once more or I'll force you to accept the other reward I offered you."

Both Kremlings shot worried looks at one another. They were not thrilled with the idea of having their lips touch the slimly and sticky surface of K. Rool's skin. Deciding to get it over with, they resumed singing their song.

"King. K Rool is the best..." they sang out loud.

Meanwhile, Yoshi hurried over to the two Kongs, hopping up and down in fear.

"Yoshi no mean to interrupt conversation, but bad guys almost done singing!" Yoshi said anxiously.

DK nodded to Yoshi, "We gotta hurry then." He then turned back to Diddy. "Get goin', kid!"

Diddy nodded to his teammate with a serious look on his face. Turning away from the group, he made a dash for the exit of the cave. Dixie said her good-byes to the others for their all her help, and she too took off for Cranky's lab. Sora, Yoshi, and DK could hear the Kremling's wrap up the song right now. It's time to put my plan into motion, DK thought to himself with a confident smile. DK called Sora and Yoshi over to form a group huddle. DK discussed the next phase of his plan to the duo while Luigi and Toadsworth kept their eyes peeled for any trouble.

DK did his best to explain his plan as quickly as possible to them. Time was of the essence, because the Kremlings would soon be done with the song. Thankfully, DK was able to get his message across within a reasonable amount of time. The gang then broke out of their huddle and got into their positions.

Finally, both Krusha and Klump, who were now exhausted, ended their song. K. Rool clapped his hands jubilantly; how he enjoyed hearing people laud him. The song had a nice ring to it. Both Kremlings were relived that they did not have to sing that song anymore. They were loyal to their master, but they did not want to praise him every five seconds. They would rather tear their skin off and feed it to the alligators then continuously sing to him.

"Good job, men," K Rool congratulated them. "A fine well done on the mission."

"Th-thank you, sir," Klump stuttered on his words. As his mind snapped back into reality, he remembered the hostages they brought along. "Oh! Sir! We have more good news!"

K. Rool made a look indicating a raised eyebrow.

"Really?" K. Rool said curiously. "You mean to tell me you did three things right? Don't make me laugh!"

"But it's true, sire," Klump told him wholeheartedly. "While we infiltrated the base, Krusha over here captured two of Donkey Kong's troops."

"Is that so?" K. Rool asked with an intrigued look. He then licked his lips with delight, and whispered to himself, "I could always use some prisoners." He then turned his attention back to Klump. "Show me where they are!"

Klump turned to Krusha with a nod.

"Krusha, bring the prisoners before his greatness." K. Rool commanded the big kremling.

Krusha grinned sinisterly, "With pleasure."

Krusha hurried over to the mine cart, only to be greeted by nothing but thin air. Krusha became flabbergasted; the prisoners were not in the mine cart. He could have sworn they were in there the moment they arrived. He scanned the entire cart to see if this was some trick. Klump noticed Krusha doing look over the mine cart. What was he up to this time? Klump ran over to see what was wrong.

"Krusha, I said bring me the prisoners," Klump said angrily at his companion. "Not stand there and admire them!"

Krusha brought his head out from the cart and turned to Krusha.

"But...uh...how can I admire something that's not there?" Krusha asked rhetorically.

The general jumped back in surprise. Not there? What did Krusha mean by not there? At that moment, Klump was almost afraid to ask Krusha what he was inquiring.

"Wh-what are you saying?" Klump gasped in surprise. "Are you saying the prisoners aren't present within the confinements of the cart?"

Krusha shrugged, "Pretty much."

"Shoot!" Klump exclaimed in anguish as he placed his hands on his head. "How did this happen? We secured them tightly, did we not? Maybe we should give it another look."

K. Rool tapped his foot in annoyance; he was growing rather petulant from just standing there.

"What are you idiots doing?" K. Rool snarled at them.

"We better hurry and take that second look," Klump declared with a anxious expression. "His vileness grows impatient."

The two Kremlings placed their heads back in the cart and scanned it thoroughly. To their dismay, they could not could see a single thing. They decided to bring their heads up...when they suddenly felt a hand firmly grab the back of their heads. The hand then forced their heads inward, which resulted in both kremlings banging the side of their skulls into each other. They felt their skulls vibrate faster than a violin cord bring struck. The next thing they knew, they could feel the same hand push them roughly into the cart.

As both Krusha and Klump looked in the cart, DK appeared from behind them and knocked their heads together. He then placed his hands on their backs, and used all of his weight to push them into the cart. K. Rool gasped in terror upon seeing the brown fur of his arch-enemy.

"Donkey Kong!" K.Rool exclaimed with a confused tone in his voice. "You're alive!?"

DK smirked, "Why, of course I am, King. K. Drool! I didn't realized you cared about my well-being so much."

K. Rool clinched his teeth in anger upon getting insulted by Donkey Kong. How he hated hearing that cool and sly voice of his! Donkey Kong then placed his hands on the cart and pushed it down the track. The cart moved a few feet until it stopped on the turntable in the center of the room. DK quickly turned his head to the left after doing that. It was time to move onto part two.

"Quick!" DK called out. "Pull the lever!"

K. Rool turned to see who DK was addressing. It was none other than Sora and Yoshi, who were pulling on a big lever with all their might. Upon moving the lever to the left, the turntable started to spin around like a top. Both Krusha and Klump started screaming as the turntable got faster and faster. The two could feel the fluids in the vestibular system of their ears move violently because they were spinning so much. Furthermore, it appeared that Krusha was not feeling too hot.

"I hate spinning!" Krusha cried out. "I get motion sickness!"

"Oh, that's good to know!" Klump cried out in sarcasm.

After about thirty seconds of suffering, DK told Sora and Yoshi to shut off the turntable. Compiling, Sora and Yoshi both moved the switch back to the starting position, and the turn table instantly stopped. Both Krusha and Klump were relieved that it was over...but it was only the beginning. Sora and Yoshi hurried over to the cart to place their hands on it. As they did so, they could hear the villains moaning. DK looked into the cart to see both Krusha and Klump laying their in agony.

"Aw, poor babies," DK sneered at them delight. "Don't worry. You two are getting an all expense paid trip to loserville. TTFN!"

Sora and Yoshi used every ounce of strength in their muscles to push the cart down the track until they gotten to a certain speed to let go. The two released their hands from the cart and watched it drive out of the cave. They could hear the wheels pound the rails from moving so fast. As the gang watched the kremlings leave, they heard Krusha one last time.

"Uh...Klump..." Krusha moaned with a weary tone his voice. "I feel something pushing it's way up my throat."

Klump shouted out, "Don't you even dare!"

The group could only wince as the next thing they heard from Krusha, which was the sweet sounds of him disgorging his lunch. Klump could only groan, as everyone knew he got hit pretty hard from the wave.

"He dared." Klump groaned in disgust.

The group started laughing as the cart exited the lair. K. Rool could only stand their in disbelief; he thought everything was going his way. However, he soon came to realize that it was only wishful thinking on his part. Soon he was surrounded by Sora, keyblade drawn and ready; Luigi, (who came over from behind the box) Yoshi, and Donkey Kong. It seemed that this would be a one sided fight. In spite of this though, K. Rool seemed to remain detached about the whole predicament he was in.

"And you're next, K. Rool!" Sora announced heroically. "There's no escape for you!"

"He's right!" DK concurred. "Four against one isn't good odds. Just hand over the coconut or else we'll have to take it from you by force."

K. Rool just smirked with confidence. Apparently he was not intimidated by Donkey Kong's threat.

"Oh Donkey Kong, my friend," K. Rool chuckled. "You never ceased to be the thorn in my side, do you? And from the looks of it, you brought some new friends along to help you. I'm afraid not even new friends will help you stop me this time. You see, I think you've failed to realize that I actually got you cornered like sewer rats."

Luigi raised an eyebrow for hearing such a ludicrous statement. How were they cornered? K. Rool then folded his hands and placed them behind his back.

"I knew that those two meatheads would mess up my plans," K. Rool continued. "So I came perfectly prepared, just in case you tried to ambush me." He then put his head down. "For all too long I have been relying on myself and others to get the job done. All this time though, I didn't realize that the only thing you can count on is the darkness; a mysterious element that shrouds the light from ever seeing existence again. I soon discovered this darkness and it ended up making me stronger."

DK scratched his head in confusion at what K. Rool was saying to him. He has known the Kremling King for a long time and not once has he ever heard him say something so absurd. Sora, Luigi, and Yoshi, on the other hand, knew exactly what he meant. The heartless must have gotten to him.

"Soon I let the darkness engulf my being, my very entity," K. Rool explained, his voice emotionless and cold like a rock. "And with it, I finally gained the power I needed to take you down."

He then looked back up at the trio with eyes that were as black as a crow who wished to peck upon the flesh of an innocent bystander and savor ever last moment of it.

"But in order to do so," he said. "I needed to throw away the thing that I did not value...my heart!"

"Say what!?" DK hooted in disbelief. "How could you throw away your heart? I mean, you wouldn't even be standing here right now if that were the case." DK suddenly stopped to realize something. He then narrowed his eyes at him "You...you're..not...K. Rool at all. You're different."

Sora knew that this individual was sick beyond his wildest imagination. The heart was something everyone cherished, and just throwing it away like yesterday's newspaper was the lowest thing you could possibly dp. Within the heart, there is the love that you share for all living things, and K. Rool could care less about love. Sora knew that with the power of darkness in his hands, K. Rool would soon become a threat to them. The key bearer tightly gripped the handles of the keyblade, expecting the worse from the lime skinned crocodile.

"It does not matter to me if I am K. Rool or not," K. Rool snickered as he licked his lips in pleasure. "The only thing I care about is the darkness, and that darkness has rewarded me for fulfilling its payment plan! Witness the beginning of oblivion!"

K. Rool then rose his arms up into the air, which caused the gang to get into their battle positions. Suddenly, the wall behind K. Rool exploded, resulting in a huge hole to appear because of it. Everyone shielded their eyes as small rocks and particles came flying at them. How on earth did he do that? As everyone turned back to K. Rool, they could notice him staring at them menacingly. A sinister chuckle managed to escape his mouth. DK, unable to continue staring at that ugly mug of his, cracked his knuckles and charged right for K. Rool.

"I've had enough of this!" DK blared as he ran towards K. Rool with full force. "You're going down!"

Sora felt his stomach harden like a rock as he watched the events unfold. Something was not right. Sora felt that K. Rool was not alone at that very moment. Both Luigi and Yoshi felt the exact same way, too. DK leaped into the air, preparing for his attack. Sora knew at this moment that DK was in trouble.

"DK, no!" Sora cried out to him.

DK brought his left fist out, going for the kill. All of a sudden, DK could feel something smack him right across the face. The result of this send him flying back towards the others. DK collided with the hard ground and rolled back about a few feet from the group. Frightened looks appeared on Sora, Luigi, and Yoshi's faces. They all hurried over to see if the future ruler was okay. Sora bent down to him upon arrival and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"DK, are you okay?" Yoshi asked in fear.

DK rubbed his back from the pain he felt when he collided with the ground.

"Yeah, I'm fine," DK replied. "But what the heck hit me?"

Luigi turned back to see K. Rool jumping up into the air. As he started to fall back down, he suddenly stopped in midair. Was he levitating? Soon, Luigi could hear something make a high pitched screech.

"I..I dunno, but I don't think I wanna stick around to find out!" Luigi gulped nervously.

K. Rool then flew high into the air and fixed himself right over the four heroes. They soon figured out that K. Rool was riding an invisible creature, but what kind of creature was it? They did not have time to think, as it was coming right for them. Everyone quickly rolled out of the way, just narrowly dodging the attack.

"Whoa, man!" Sora exclaimed in shock. "What the heck is he riding?"

K. Rool just laughed manically, "I am not going to tell you what I am riding. However, I will tell you one thing about it. It is like the Grim Reaper; it is something that brings death upon you...and you can't even see it."

A panicked expression appeared on Luigi's face.

"Okay, this guy is freaking me out!" Luigi screamed in terror. "Could we go back to Hyrule? I wouldn't mind listening to Ganondorf's laughing again."

Before anyone said another word, Luigi, Yoshi, and Donkey Kong transformed into white beings of light. They soon disappeared from the key bearer's sight. This could only mean one thing, Sora thought to himself. They have become mercy of the cards yet again. Sora knew he was on his own, but how could he beat K. Rool and whatever it is he is riding on? Moreover, how can he fight something he could not see? Guess he would need to rely on his other senses to help him through that one. K. Rool turned his attention to Sora.

"Sic him!" K. Rool commanded his creature.

The creature charged right for Sora, who quickly put his keyblade up diagonally to block the attack. Soon Sora could feel whatever it was collide with the keyblade, producing a loud 'clang' because of it. Sora used every ounce of his strength to try and push back, but the creature was far too strong. Sora's feet slid across the floor as the creature pushed him into a wall at the end of the room. Sora could feel his back collide with the rough exterior of the wall. He still held his position with the creature, still trying to push him back.

Sora could then feel a strong gush of wind coming right at him. It instantly occurred to him that the creature was about to strike. Sora jerked his head left, just narrowly avoiding the attack that came at him. A giant hole appeared right next to him as a result. Sora's felt his heart stop for a moment; that could have been his head! Sora then noticed that the part he was blocking had stopped pushing on him, almost like it was moving away. He then felt the gush of wind again. This time he brought his keyblade up vertically to block the attack. The keyblade was pushed right up towards his face because of how hard it struck. Sora struggled with the "claws" of the creature he was fighting. Finally, he could feel the creature grab a hold of the tip of the keyblade and pull him along for the ride. The creature lifted Sora into the air and threw him across the room.

Sora went spinning across the room towards the other side of it. He quickly regained control over his body and did a cannonball all the way into the other wall. As he flew back towards it, the creature let out a soft growl. Two small little green mists appeared adjacent to one another below K. Rool. The two mists then came together to form a sonic wind attack that moved in horizontal position. It flew at an incredible fast rate towards Sora. The key bearer flew into the wall, and landed on it by spreading his right leg out and letting his left hand touch the wall. The boy looked up to see the sonic wind come right for him. Thinking quickly, Sora turned his body right and leaped off the wall. He then flew over to a large metal pole that was to the right of the wall, and he pressed his right hand against it. No sooner did he land on it, another sonic wind came at him.

Sora quickly pushed off the wall just as the attack came at him and he leaped towards the ground. As he was about to collide with it, he quickly did a roll to catch himself. He then stood back up, only to see another sonic wind approach him. Sora darted his head left to avoid the attack as it came towards him his head. Another one soon approached him, and he jerked his body right to dodge the incoming one. No sooner did his head turn back towards K. Rool, he saw another one approach his head. Sora quickly dropped down and got into a position on the floor that looked like he was about do a one-handed push up. Another one that came at him while he was in the position. Sora quickly used his feet and his hand to push himself up to narrowly avoid the next one. Yet another one made its way towards him while he was in midair, with the front of his body facing the ground. To avoid this one, Sora quickly jerked his body left, and spun out of the way. He then landed in a kneeled position and stood back up. The creature continued to fire more sonic wind attacks, in which Sora continuously dodged. As one came at him, he quickly darted left to avoid it. As another one came, he jumped over it.

Sora then gripped the handles of his keyblade tightly with both hands. He was going to land a direct attack on the Kremling King. The keyblade master leaped into the air, keyblade held high. He jumped so high up that he was practically over K. Rool's head. He was ready to strike when a long red strip appeared from below K. Rool and grabbed on to Sora's calf. The boy was not only startled but disgusted, mainly because drool was on it. The red stip, supposedly a tongue, pulled Sora down and slammed him onto the floor. He screamed in pain from the hard impact his back felt when it hit the ground. Sora quickly shook the tongue off of him by using his foot, and he quickly stood up. Sora then noticed the tongue coming at his face faster than a bullet. Sora tilted his head left to dodge the tongue's attack, but it was not over.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sora saw it starting to move in, so he quickly ducked under it. The creature then quickly brought its tongue down to the floor and tripped Sora faster than a whip. Sora started to fall onto his left side, but he quickly caught himself with his left hand. As the tongue charged for him again, Sora pushed off with his left hand, performing a cartwheel in the process. Seizing this moment, Sora quickly ran towards the invisible creature, keyblade held with both hands, while the tongue started to retract towards its owner. Sora's hands were positioned right next to his head, and the keyblade was pointing right at the creature.

Sora then fiercely thrust the keyblade at the creature, stabbing it as a result. Yes! A direct hit! The creature let out an ear shattering wail. Sora could noticed K. Rool going higher into the air while holding on for dear life. Sora knew that the creature must be standing on its hind legs. This was the perfect opportunity to strike again. Sora tapped three fire cards and pointed it right at the creature.

"Fire!" Sora shouted.

A giant fireball emerged from the tip of the keyblade, and it flew right into the creature. The attack was so powerful that the creature and K. Rool went flying into a wall, which caused debris and ruble to emerge because of the impact. Sora shielded his eyes as the particles came right towards his face. As things started to settle down, Sora opened his eyes and looked to see what damage he did from the attack. He looked ahead to see the dust clearing from the impact of the hit. As the dust finally cleared, Sora could see K. Rool's wincing in pain. His body was squished between the creature and the back of the wall like a sandwich. Suddenly, something started to become transparent underneath the Kremling King. Whatever it was continued to get visible until he could finally see what K. Rool was riding. Sora felt his jaw drop in shock upon seeing it. It was a twenty foot, chameleon like heartless with patches of different colored green skin. On the top of its forehead it had a giant white horn that sparked out bio electricity that hissed like a snake.

Embedded on its chest was the heartless symbol, indicating that it was indeed a heartless. The creature slowly got itself back up after it taking damage of the attack. It shook its head to get off some of the debris that was on top of it. Sora quickly jumped three feet backwards and readied the keyblade for round two. Now that he could see the monster, his chances of defeating it increased. Sora tightly wrapped his hands around the handle as the monster slowly approached him. He had to be on his guard, because that heartless would trounce him at any given moment.

Sora started to pant lightly; he becoming a bit tired from all the damage he was taking. His muscles slightly trembled from the pain he could feel. In spite of this pain, he had to keep fighting for his friend's sake.

"Heh," Sora chuckled weakly. "So this is your secret weapon, eh?"

K. Rool glowered at the boy; he clearly did not expect Sora to reveal the identity of his heartless. However, K. Rool decided that it did not matter in the end run; his heartless was still going to crush Sora like a bug.

"Impressive," K. Rool said calmly. "I see you've managed to bring my monster out of hiding. Allow me to introduce you to my Stealth Sneak. Take one good look at him, my boy, for he is the last monster you will ever feast your eyes on."

The monster leaped forward and swatted at Sora with his left paw. Sora darted right to avoid the attack, but he soon found himself using the keyblade to block the right hand that came at him. Sora then titled the keyblade counterclockwise until it reached the six o' clock position. Sora then pushed the keyblade upward, knocking the hand into the air. Sora then quickly ran in to stab it in the face again. Unfortunately, the Stealth Sneak was ready to counter the attack. It stuck out its tongue to strike Sora, but the key bearer held the keyblade up and let the tongue wrap around the blade itself. It soon became an all out tug-of-war as Sora did his best to hold onto the keyblade, while the heartless pulled on it with all its might.

Sora then tapped one of the cards on his keychain, and used a blizzard spell on the chameleon's tongue. The heartless could soon feel its tongue freeze up from the icy cold spell being emitted from the blade. The cold sensation soon went from its tongue, all the way into its body, causing it to shiver up. Not only that, but it could not even make a move because it was so cold. It could no longer hold onto the keyblade as a result. As the tongue released its grip, Sora leaped into the air and prepared to bring the keyblade down.

Unbeknownst to Sora, the heartless miraculously recovered from the attack as it turned its body around and smacked him in the face with its spiral shaped tail. Sora once again went flying across the room from the hard blow. The creature then put its two claws out and charged up another sonic wind attack. Sora could notice it preparing another attack as he flew across the room. The creature then released the attack on the boy. Sora tried a new magic spell he obtained while fighting the heartless. He brought the keyblade back like a baseball bat and then swung it forward while he called out the attack.

"Wind!" Sora cried.

A power tornado soon emerged from the keyblade and collided with the heartless' attack. It caused a powerful explosion of gust and wind because of it. The sheer force of the wind sent Sora flying into the air. He screamed at the top of his lungs, as he was unsure what was going to happen to him. The question was soon answered as he felt himself collided with a bunch of wooden objects, and went right through them. High above the cave was a platform that appeared to have a myriad of wooden barrels neatly stacked up. There were about seventy of them in total. Most of them were normal barrels, while some had the words TNT printed on it. It was anyone's guess as to why they were up there, but Sora's interference caused the stack to fall off the platform. Sora was amongst the barrels that fell with it. The boy had to make a good landing, or else he would be flattened like a pancake. Sora quickly pushed himself down and landed on one of the barrels. He looked above to see another one coming straight at him; and it was full of dynamite!

Sora quickly leaped to his left, just narrowly avoiding the barrel. However, upon hitting the barrel Sora was just on, the TNT barrel exploded and sent Sora flying across the group of barrels. Sora noticed he was flying right towards other barrels. Sora slashed at the one in front of him and landed on the one a few seconds later that was right under him. He then hopped from barrel to barrel, avoiding other barrels from above and slashing ones there were in front of him. As Sora landed on one more barrel, it suddenly hit landed on the ground and started rolling.. Sora did his best to maintain his balance as it rolled down the cave. Looking behind him, he saw other barrels rolling with him. As he turned his head to look forward, he gasped in fear to see K. Rool and his heartless running right towards him.

The creature threw a punch at Sora from above, but the boy leaped to the right and avoid the attack. Sora then landed on another barrel, and continued to maintain his balance. As the creature slammed the ground from missing Sora, the powerful impact sent some of the barrels flying into the air. Sora notice one of them was a TNT barrel, and it was heading in his direction. That gave Sora an idea. The heartless tried to grab Sora, but the boy quickly jumped over the giant hand. As he was airborne, he moved his body slightly above the TNT barrel that was about a few feet away from the position of his foot. Sora then shot another fire spell at the heartless again, and only seconds later, he kicked the TNT barrel as it came in range of his foot.

K. Rool's eyes widened as he noticed the TNT barrel heading right for them.

"What!?" K. Rool clamored in surprise. "Oh, no! Quick! Turn away!"

The TNT barrel flew ahead of the fireball by a few inches, and it touched the heartless' face. Only a millisecond later the fireball collided with the TNT barrel and exploded right in front of them. Sora quickly landed on the ground and leaped out of the way as a massive explosion ensued from the impact. The keyblade master shielded his eyes from the brightness of the explosion as it towered over him. He could hear K. Rool scream in agony as he witnessed the explosion. The attack must have dealt some serious damage to both of them, or maybe even worse. As the explosion died down, Sora opened his left eye to see a giant stream of smoke covering the area in front of him. Was the battle over? He hoped so, because he was starting to become tired from all the fighting. His legs started to tremble from using them so much in battle. He took slow deep breaths to recover from the fight.

Sora waited for about a minute to see if K. Rool and the heartless would ambush him. To his surprise, nothing happened. Maybe he won the fight, he thought. Sora wiped his forehead in relief; he was glad it was over. Sora then turned away from the smoke, and started to make his way towards the exit. However, before he could even get another inch, he stopped upon realizing something. Weren't the others supposed to come back? No sooner did the thought cross his mind, he could feel something push against his back and slam him right into the ground.

Sora grunted as he hit the hard floor. Sora used all the strength he had to turn his torso around, only to be greeted by K. Rool and Stealth Sneak. He could notice both of them had bruises and marks all over their bodies from the damage they received. Sora could not believe his eyes. How did they survive?

"No...way..." Sora grunted as he struggled to break free. "You survived?"

"I have to admit, that was a clever little ruse you pulled off, boy," K. Rool said in admiration. He then smirked sinisterly. "But I am afraid it was not enough. Prepare for defeat!"

Sora had to think of something, or else he would become part of the heartless' balanced breakfast. The boy looked around the lair; there was nothing around he could use, and his arms were pinned down tightly. Suddenly, Sora focused his blue eyes on a certain green card that had appeared about five inches away from his head. It was a friend card! That was his ticket to freedom, but his arms were pinned down, so he could not reach for it that way. The only option he had was to use his teeth to grab it. Sora jerked his head forward and opened his mouth wider than a snapping turtle preparing to bite down on its meal.

K. Rool commanded his heartless to deliver the final blow on the boy by bitting down on the key bearer's head. This was the only chance he had left. It was all or never! Sora pushed his body out as far as he could, and he bit down on the card just at the heartless brought its mouth down on him. Thankfully, the magic of the card was able to activate just from touching it with his teeth. The card he touched was none other than the Donkey Kong card; and boy did Sora need some muscle right about now.

The overbearingly bright light from the card was able to blind the heartless and K. Rool for the moment. This caused the creature to loosen his grip on the keyblade master's body. Sora quickly slid himself out from underneath the creature's hand. As the light dimmed down, Sora turned to his right to see Donkey Kong with his fists at his side, ready to do battle.

"DK!" Sora cheered. "Thank goodness! I could use some help!"

DK smirked, "Hey, the pleasure's all mine." He then slammed his left first into his right palm. "K. Rool is about to find out what happens when he messes with my friends!"

DK ran right towards the creature as he let out a fierce battle cry. K. Rool could not help but grin deviously. He was going to enjoy taking out his enemy once and for all.

"Donkey Kong, my old friend," K. Rool laughed at Donkey Kong's pitiful attempt to stop him.. "You are taking a huge risk. There is no way you can beat me this time, especially with my new friend."

"For starters, I'm not your friend," DK shouted as he ran right towards the creature. "Second of all, your ugly little pet doesn't scare me, and last but certainly not least, you're about to get your butt kicked."

The creature stuck its tongue out to Donkey Kong but the great ape side-stepped to the left, avoiding the attack. He then took his right hand and slammed it down on the creature's head, knocking it onto the hard concrete floor. He then leaped onto the heartless and leaped right at K. Rool with hands straight out in front of him. He then tackled the Kremling King, and they both fell off the heartless. DK pushed K. Rool right into the ground with all of his weight, and they slid across the ground. K. Rool screamed in agonizing pain as he felt his skin slide across the hard surface. DK then stood up and grabbed K. Rool by the neck; it was time to end this fight. DK dashed forward while holding K. Rool's neck firmly within his giant hand. He then brought his mighty arm back and threw K. Rool across the room. As K. Rool went flying, DK drew his Coconut gun and fired a coconut out of it.

"Hasta la vista, baby!" Donkey Kong said in a deep voice.

K. Rool took wind of this and took the crown off the top of his head. He then threw it like a boomerang right at the coconut, destroying it upon contact. Donkey Kong's jaw dropped in shock; he was not counting on K. Rool to counterattack. Before DK could reply, he saw the crown come right at him. DK quickly jerked his body left to avoid the attack. DK had faced against K. Rool before, so he knew what was going to happen next with the crown; it was going to come right back towards him. Knowing this, DK devised a plan to have it so the crown hit K. Rool instead. DK fired another coconut, which K. Rool dodged by jerking his body left a few inches. DK then shot another one at him. This time, K Rool moved his torso right to dodge it. DK continued to pursue K. Rool by firing coconuts, in which K. Rool avoided.

"Ha!" K. Rool laughed with confidence. "I might be a bit plump, but I still move like lightning."

"A bit plump?" DK scoffed in disbelief. "That's a bit of an understatement!"

Insulted by DK's statement, he glared at him evilly.

"Shut up!" K. Rool hissed at DK.

DK continued to chase K. Rool until the Kremling King stopped upon a dead end. At this point, he knew he was corned, but right below him was a TNT barrel. Yes! There was still a chance to beat him. K. Rool picked up the barrel and turned to DK with it. DK tried to fire another coconut, but the only thing that emitted from it was the sound of a click. This could only mean one thing...DK was out of ammo. He patted the back of his gun, in hopes that there was at least one stuck in there. To his dismay, not a single one came out. He turned back to K. Rool who held the barrel over his head; the tides of battle have changed, and they were now in K. Rool's favor. K. Rool was about to blow DK up into a million pieces.

"Aha!" K. Rool said in triumph. "It looks like the tables have turned, Donkey Kong. There's no escape for you now."

While that was going on, Sora charged for the Stealth Sneak with both hands on the keyblade. The heartless fired yet another sonic wind attack. This was becoming redundant, Sora thought. As it came right at him, Sora deflected the attack with his keyblade and sent it right back at the heartless. The creature quickly leaped into the air to avoid the attack. It then flew right for Sora, who gasped in surprise. The boy leaped a few back feet as the creature was about land. As it landed, Sora quickly ran at it and purposely fell on his back so that he could slide under it. As he slid under it, Sora slashed the keyblade right across the creature's chest. It let out an ear shattering scream as it felt the blade impale its skin. Sora then came out the other side of the creature, and kicked his feet into the air to push himself back up.

The heartless moaned from the excruciating pain it received as a result. A large cut be noticed on its chest as a result of the attack. The heartless then turned to Sora with a passionate look of rage in its eyes. It would now show no mercy. The creature stuck its long tongue out at Sora again, but this time he grabbed the tongue with his left hand. The creature then pulled Sora towards him. As Sora approached the face, he rose the keyblade and slashed down on its face with all his might. The creature screamed again as it took the hit from the keyblade. The force from the attack was so powerful that it pushed Sora back. As it did, he held onto the tongue to bring it along for the ride. After he flew back a few feet, he flew back towards the creature and did the same thing again; this time he gave a diagonal slash downward. Sora repeated this process five more times. Each time he came in he would attack with the keyblade from a different angle. On the sixth time he went in, Sora brought his two feet together and delivered a hard kick to the jaw of the creature.

The attack was so powerful that it caused the heartless to stand on its hind legs because of it. With its sensitive spot now exposed, now was the time to unleash a powerful sleight attack. Sora tapped three cards on his keyblade, and it began glowing a bright yellow color. Sora then flew right towards the creature to deliver the sleight move known as "Blitz." Sora gave a left horizontal slash right across the chest. He then followed it up with a powerful diagonal slash downward. Lastly, he brought the keyblade over his head to perform the final strike.

"It's time you disappeared for good!" Sora cried heroically.

Sora then brought the blade down, and slashed it right across the creature's entire body. It howled in pain from the final blow Sora delivered His entire body stung like a million scissors that were cutting every part of its body off. It became too damaged to continue fighting at this point. It just staggered back weakly; it could hardly move a muscle. Sora pretty much won the battle.

Meanwhile, K. Rool had Donkey Kong right where he wanted him. DK knew that if he tried to attack K. Rool, the barrel would indubitably explode on both of them. DK could run to avoid it, but he chose not to for reasons unknown. K. Rool was excited, he was about to eradicate his arch-enemy once and for all. Little did he realize a confident smirk appearing on DK's face, while he was excited about winning.

"Any last words before I annihilate you once and for all?" K. Rool said.

"Sure," DK grinned cheekily. "What comes around go around!"

DK quickly ducked, which confused the kremling king for a second. Suddenly, his eyes widened in surprise as he saw his crown come right at him.

Only one thought crossed his mind as he watched the crown come towards him: why did offer DK a last word?

The crown flew right into the king's nose, which caused him to feel pain. His initial reaction to it was to throw the barrel up into the air, so that his hands could grab his nose to lessen the pain. DK quickly got onto his stomach and braced himself. The barrel only went a few feet up in the air before the force of gravity kicked in and pushed it back down. The barrel then collided with K. Rool's head, which resulted in a big explosion. The kremling king screamed as he flew into the sky like a rocket taking off. Donkey Kong watched as K. Rool started to fall down towards the middle of the room. Before DK could do anything else, he returned to his card form and disappeared in a stream of light.

Sora heard K. Rool's screaming coming from right behind him. The boy turned around to see K. Rool land on the control table that was in the center of his room. K. Rool felt electricity shock his entire body as it collided with the various circuitry that was in there. K. Rool then rolled off of the table since he was placed at the end of it. As he fell over, his hand accidently hit a red round button that was on there. DK must have taken care of K. Rool, Sora thought to himself. The boy then noticed a shiny round object rolling right towards him.

Sora's eyes widened in excitement, "Is that what I think it is?"

Sora hurried over to the object that was rolling on the ground. As Sora got closer to it, a feeling of joy overtook him upon recognizing the object. It was the Crystal Coconut. It must have fallen out of K. Rool's clutches from the explosion. Sora bent down and picked up the glowing coconut with both hands cupped underneath it.

He made sure to take care of it tenderly; he did not want to drop it. As he stood up with it, he sighed with relief. The battle was finally over. Sora then heard a familiar voice call out to him.

"Sora!" Yoshi called to him excitedly.

Sora turned around to see Luigi, Yoshi, and DK running over to him.

"Hey, are you okay, kid?" Luigi asked in concern.

Sora grinned, "Yep. I'm okay. Not only that, but I got the coconut too."

Sora handed the coconut over to Donkey Kong, who scanned over it to see if it was not damaged. He scanned the glass surface to see if there were any cracks on it. Fortunately, none could be noticed. Donkey Kong was ultimately relieved that the coconut was finally back in his possession.

Throughout this entire ordeal, Donkey Kong had become a little wiser; he has learned that brute strength alone does not win a fight. It also takes cunningness and a strategic mind to win the day. The body and mind; they go together like a husband and wife; one cannot be complete without the other. DK, of course, had to learn that the hard way. He also learned to take more responsibility and care into watching over items that could never be replaced.

DK let out a huge sigh, "Alright! We got the coconut back!"

He then looked up at Sora's group with a gratified look in his eyes. If it had not been for them, he probably would have never got it back. They too played a role in helping Donkey Kong become wiser. He would have probably jumped carelessly into battle if they did not show him that true heroes need to use their minds, not their muscles.

"Thanks for all your help, guys," DK said gratefully. I couldn't have done it without you. I would have probably got my butt kicked if you didn't help out."

Luigi pounded his chest with his left fist proudly.

"No problemo," Luigi said modestly. "A plumber's job is to always lend a hand."

Sora could not help but chuckle at Luigi's comment.

"No problemo?" Sora snickered. "I thought you were Italian, not Spanish."

Luigi turned to Sora with an annoyed look.

"Can't I ever say something unusual without getting a comment from the peanut gallery afterwards?" Luigi groaned at Sora.

Yoshi giggled, "Sorry, Luigi. It Sora and Yoshi's job to comment on silly things you say."

Sora and Yoshi both started laughing to each other as Luigi sniffed indignantly at them. Before another word was spoken, the group heard a siren go off within the cave. This caused Yoshi to jump on top of Luigi's shoulders in fear.

"Hey, what's the matter for you!?" Luigi shouted with his Italian accent. "Stop that, Yoshi! Get offa me! I'm supposed to be the one riding you! It doesn't work like that!"

Sora and DK looked anxiously around the room. What was happening? Did K. Rool trigger something when he crash landed into the table. As they mulled it over, they were unaware that K. Rool had slowly managed to get himself up from the critical hit. His entire body was crippled; he could hardly poise himself into a straight up position. K. Rool wondered what was going on. He never seen his lair do this before. He then remembered that his right hand touched something just before he hit the floor. Looking to his right, he noticed a giant red button that was pressed down. Under it, he noticed red words carved within it. His entire body tensed up in apprehension upon reading what it said.

Self-Destruct Mode...

K. Rool was in a state of bewilderment. Never in a lifetime did he ever consider the thought of installing a self-destruct button in his lair.

"Okay, who's the dimwit who thought it would be a good idea to install a self-destruct button?" K. Rool uttered out in rage. "I only have one lair, you know! Does it look like I would invest my time in building another one?"

Everyone could then hear a robotic voice speak up from above.

"Self destruction in thirty seconds." the voice announced.

Sora's group gasped in surprise. In thirty seconds the entire place would explode, and if they did not escape, they would be reduced to ashes.

"So he's gonna self destruct the place huh?" Sora groaned as he slumped his shoulders. "Wow. How cliched can one get?"

"Hey, it maybe cliched," Luigi pointed out as he started to panic. "But if we don't get outta here, then we're going have an ending that is not so cliched. I'm ditching this popsicle stand! Ciao!"

With that said, Luigi dashed for the exit while Yoshi still on his back. The young dinosaur was so terrified that he absentmindedly put his hands on Luigi's eyes, blocking them from seeing anything.

"Hurry, Luigi!" Yoshi cried in fear.

"I'm trying, Yoshi, but for some reason I'm blind!" Luigi shouted out. "I can't see where I am going!"

Luigi continued running in the same direction, until both of them ran into a wooden box full force. Luigi stumbled backwards and rubbed his nose from the pain. He quickly placed his hands on the box to feel around for an opening. He slid his body left until all he could no longer feel the box. The plumber ran forward again...only to trip and fall into a pile of barrels. Toadsworth, who came out of hiding from the box, ran over to help the duo up. Meanwhile, Sora and Donkey Kong were about to join then when they heard a voice, causing them to stop dead in their tracks.

"Not so fast, gentlemen!" the voice said.

Sora and DK turned to see K. Rool standing before them. He slowly limped towards them, as he was still fatigued from the fight. He was not going to let them leave alive.

"You're...not...going to escape my wrath." K. Rool said with a weary tone in his voice.

DK could not help but show sympathy for K. Rool. He was too weak to even raise a finger. It would not be fair for him to hit someone while they were still down. Moreover, K. Rool did not have enough strength to make it out alive, based on how slow he was moving.

"K. Rool, we can't fight you anymore," DK said to him sincerely. "You've already lost."

K. Rool, too arrogant to realize that he stood no chance, continued to walk towards the two.

"Nonsense," K. Rool said, his voice slightly trembling. "I am King. K Rool! I cannot be defeated! I just come back even stronger than ever! I am the darkness that you can never escape from."

The two suddenly took notice of a huge silhouette, shaped like a chamaeleon, looming over K. Rool. Sora and DK instantly knew who it was. It was the Stealth Sneak! Sora forgot all about it after he delivered the final blow upon it. He could hear the creature softly growl in pain. It was probably just as weak as K. Rool was. However, they started to notice it swaying back and forth like a palm tree during a hurricane. Both Sora and DK had a feeling that it was going to fall, and K. Rool was going to act as the cushion. The creature tilted its head back; it was about to make a decent. DK had to warn K. Rool before it was too late.

"K. Rool! Look out behind you!" DK alerted the kremling king.

K. Rool turned around too little too late, as a giant heartless that weighed triple his size fell right on top of him, and crushed him into the ground like a bug. The Kremling King screamed in agony, as his spine was squashed like fresh berries. Sora and Dk's spines shivered, just thinking about how much that had to hurt.

DK was concerned; he hoped that K. Rool was alright. He had to help him! Wasting no time, DK hurried over to the heartless, calling out his enemy's name.

"K. Rool!" DK said with a tone of distraught in his voice. "Are you alive? Say something!"

Sora could hear the robotic voice count down.

"18...17..." the voice said.

There was no time to help K. Rool; time was running out. Sora hurried over to DK and put his hand on his shoulder.

"DK, we don't have time!" Sora pointed out to him.

"...16...15..."

"But...he doesn't deserve to..." DK argued.

Sora shook his head sadly, "Listen, I want to save him just as much as you do, but...if something happens to us...we'll never see our friends and family again. They'll be forever heartbroken by it, and I can't picture Kairi and Riku mourning over me. I don't want them to be sad. Besides, you're the future ruler of Kong Bongo; everyone needs someone to guide them in the right direction, and you're the only one capable of doing it."

"12...11..."

DK nodded understandingly. He could not picture his friends going about a somber lifestyle without him. He did not want that to happen. His loved one's meant so much. Taking a deep breath, he made a decision on what to do. He hoped that he did not have to regret what he was about to do.

"Okay, Sora," DK said in compliance. "Let's get out of here."

"10...9..."

DK scooped Sora up into his left arm and quickly sprinted towards the entrance of the lair.

"...8...7..."

DK ran over to Toadsworth to help him get Luigi and Yoshi out of the barrels.

"...6...5..."

He then placed Luigi, Toadsworth, and Yoshi in his other arm and ran at full speed towards the door. He made sure he did not drop either his friends or the coconut.

"...4...3..."

DK's heartbeat rose in nervous; the entrance was close, but time was almost up.

"...2...1..."

As they got to the entrance, DK shot a slight glance back towards the spot where K. Rool was crushed into a pulp. Only two words entered his mind as he looked back one last time.

"_I'm sorry..." _

DK leaped out of the cave just in time; the detonation went off, causing a huge explosion. As he landed, DK hurried down the track, so they could get far away from the explosion as fast as possible. DK could feel the earth shake below his feet as he continued to follow the tracks. After about a few seconds of running, he placed everyone on the ground. They all turned around to see smoke and ashes coming out from the entrance of the hole. The group sighed in relief; they managed to escape death's clutches.

Yoshi wiped his forehead, because sweat of nervousness poured down his face, "Phew! Talk about cutting it close."

"Oh, my poor heart," Toadsworth moaned melodramatically. "I do not know if I can take this much madness anymore."

"Madness?" Luigi asked with a raised eyebrow. "That wasn't maddens; that was insanity!"

DK shrugged, "Look at the bright side; we're all safe and sound." He then shifted his gaze towards the cave. "Well...almost everyone."

"Why?" Luigi inquired. "Did someone not make it."

DK nodded sadly, "K. Rool was toppled by that monster we faced. He didn't make it. I tried to help him, but there wasn't enough time."

Sora and his friends looked at each other with sadden looks. While he was their enemy, he still was a living being, and no human being deserved to die in the prime of their meaningful lives. DK turned back to the group with a serious look.

"Oh, well," DK sighed with a shrug. "At least he can rest in peace...or pieces I guess. All his life K. Rool was alone. That's what drove him to become evil. Nobody ever cared for the guy. He was pretty much alone; and Krusha and Klump were only henchmen meant to serve him. So he still was all alone."

Toadsworth nodded in agreement, "I could definitely notice a look of emptiness in his eyes. He probably would have been a different crocodile if he had friends that cared for him."

"Without any friends, he could not have a heart," DK said solemnly. He lowed his head to pay his final respects. "I pity him, even after everything we've been through." He looked up and chuckled a little bit. "Funny thing is it probably won't be exciting around here now that he's gone. After all, he is what kept me coming back to rescue the coconut."

Sora could feel a warm sensation right at his feet. Looking down he could see the same black card he first got back in Hyrule. Next to the card was a card that had a picture of K. Rool on it. This must have been his reward for defeating the leader of this world. Sora picked the cards up and placed them in his pocket. DK then walked ahead of the group.

"C'mon, guys," DK told the others. "Let's get back to Cranky's lab. He's probably about to blow a fuse from waiting so long."

The four nodded to Donkey Kong, and they all followed him back to the lab.

* * *

The sun slowly started to descend over the trees of the jungle. The wild animals that resided in the jungle decided to head home after exploring the world for the entire day. They could not wait to get to their nesting grounds and drift off into a peaceful. Already, one could hear the sounds of an owl's hoot echo throughout the vicinity of the jungle of the island. The air was crip and cool; it definitely started to feel like nighttime.

After about twenty minutes of traveling through the jungle (and another ten minutes convincing Luigi to get in the barrel that launches them back) the five arrived back on the bridge that lead to Cranky's lab. Now that the threat has passed, they could finally relax. As they headed towards the door, DK stopped for a moment.

"Hey, fellas," DK said to Sora's group. They turned to him. "What's next for you guys?"

"Well, we may have found Yoshi, but my friends Riku and Kairi are still out there somewhere." Sora replied to the great ape. He then gestured towards Luigi. "And Luigi needs to find his brother."

DK smiled, "Guess you guys gotta a long way to go. Well, wherever you go, just know that DK's got your back."

"Thanks," Yoshi said with a grateful smile. He then lowered his head sadly, still feeling bad for eating the coconut earlier "I sorry I ate the coconut."

DK bent down to Yoshi, placing his giant hands on the dinosaur's shoulders.

"No problem, Yoshi," said an understanding DK. "Accidents happen, right? I should know; I get into 'em a lot."

Yoshi giggled in response. He was glad to know that everyone was forgiving of him eating the coconut. Before Yoshi could respond to DK, he stopped to see the crystal coconut in DK's left hand. Oh how shiny it looked, Yoshi thought. It would be so good feeling its rough surface touch his tongue again. Sora could notice Yoshi staring longingly at the coconut. He knew what was going to happen. Yoshi stuck his tongue out to try and eat the coconut again, but Sora quickly grabbed his tongue with both hands.

Everyone glowered at the dinosaur for trying to eat the coconut again.

"Yoshi!" everyone shouted at him.

Sora then released his grip from the tongue, and it retracted back into the dinosaur's mouth. Sora shook the salvia off of his hands.

"Ew!" Sora groaned in disgust. "I think I had enough of touching tongues for one day."

"Piece of advise, DK," Luigi advised Donkey Kong. "When it comes to Yoshi and eating, accidents never happen."

DK nodded with a nervous expression on his face, "I'll take your word for it."

"Donkey Kong!" called a male voice.

Everyone turned to see Diddy Kong run right out of the laboratory. He was happy to see that everyone was safe. The little chimp jumped into his big buddy's arms and gave him a big hug.

"You did it, DK!" Diddy hooted excitedly. "You got the coconut back!"

"But of course, little buddy," DK said with his famous grin. He then pulled Diddy away from his arms and placed him on the ground. "They don't call me the future ruler of Kong Bongo for nothing."

Seconds later, the other Kongs came out to congratulate DK and the others on a job well done. Candy gave Donkey Kong a hug, knowing that he was safe and sound.

"DK, I am so happy to see you alive," Candy said happily. "I don't know what I would have done if something happened."

"Aw, nothing bad was gonna happen, ma'am," Luigi reassured Candy. "With us helping him out, we had no problem taking care of the kremlings."

No sooner did he say that, a cane came in and wacked him right across the head. Luigi placed his hands on his head from the throbbing pain he was feeling.

"Ow!" Luigi yelped in pain. "What the-!?"

He turned to see an infuriated Cranky Kong standing before him.

"Don't forget that it's because of you four that we were in this mess in the fist place, you knucklehead!" Cranky pointed out sternly.

"I'm not the one who ate it!" Luigi protested.

Cranky then wacked him over the head again; this time with more force. Luigi clinched his teeth from the extraordinary pain he felt.

"Ow!" Luigi shouted in pain.

Cranky then wacked him yet again with the cane. Luigi glared at Cranky in confusion as he rubbed his head a third time.

"But all I said was 'ow' that time!" Luigi pointed out with a trembling tone in his voice. "What was that for?"

"For not buttoning yer lip!" Cranky explained.

"Cranky," DK said. The old kong then turned to him. "It's cool. We got the coconut back and everything's fine. Besides, I think Luigi's been through enough."

"Yes," Luigi whimpered in pain. "Please! Have a heart! I am only a plumber!"

"I don't know what a plumber is, but I think that's enough punishment," Cranky said.

Luigi sighed with relief from hearing that. Cranky turned away from the plumber and slowly walked over to DK with a frown on his face.

"Well, DK, you always manage to stir up trouble." Cranky said in disappointment. He sounded like he was about to preach him with the same redundant speech about being a good ruler

DK lowered his head; he was not in the mood to hear Cranky lecture him again in a negative way. However, as he stood next to him, DK was surprised to see that Cranky was smiling at him.

"But you always manage to set things right," Cranky added with a smile. "I am proud of you, my boy."

DK was touched by Cranky's words. It was so rare to hear something nice from him, and it made him feel proud of himself. He bowed his head before his grandfather in appreciation.

"Thanks, Cranky," DK said as he expressed his gratitude. "From now on I'll do what I can to be a good leader."

Cranky patted his grandson's head gently, "I know you will. You always mean well."

DK felt elated; he never felt so much kindness from Cranky before. Perhaps Cranky had turned over a new leaf...

**WACK!!**

DK felt Cranky's cane smack him right across the head. He then stood up with tears of pain in his eyes, as he clutched his head with his hands. Guess he spoke too soon.

"OW!"

"JUST DON'T MESS AROUND AGAIN!" Cranky roared at his grandson in rage. "Are we clear!?"

DK made an 'ok' symbol with his right hand while he still held his hand with his left.

"Crystal." DK replied with a grunt of pain.

Everyone else then started laughing from that moment. After the laughter died down, Sora went to say his good-byes, but before he got a chance to a bright light flashed right behind them, startling everyone in the process. What was going on? Everyone turned to see a giant white vortex manifesting itself in front of them. The Kong's backed away in fear upon seeing it.

"Wh-what is that thing?" Dixie stuttered in fear.

Sora's group looked into it to see the familiar pale hallway of Castle Oblivion. It was time to move on.

"Our ticket out of here," Sora replied as he turned to the Kongs. "I guess this is where we say...good-bye."

DK approached Sora and gave him a high five.

"Sora, it was cool hangin' with you and your friends," DK said. "You're always welcome back here, and wherever you go, we'll always be pals no matter what."

Sora gave him a thumbs up, "Thanks, DK. Till we meet again!" He then turned to his friends. "Guys...let's go!"

The group said their final good-byes to the kongs, and they headed into the portal. As they entered it, Sora had this strange feeling that they were not originally meant to come here. He did not know why, but he felt that somewhere, in another time, another reality, this was a world they did not journey to. Regardless of what he thought, he was happy he got to go on a jungle adventure. Sora knew that it would be a long journey to find his friends, but with the many exciting adventures along the way, he knew that the fun was only begining.

The group arrived on the other side the portal, and as they walked forward, they could hear Donkey Kong's voice once last time.

"Bananaaa Slamma!"

The voice then fainted into the back of his mind, along with the entire memory of the world.

A/N: Aw, man. I finished the chapter. Whew! Spent a good amount of time with it. I want to again thank everyone for being patient with me throughout this entire thing. I was going through life issues and it prevented me from doing this chapter. Also, considering the fact that I had to make up the entire chapter from scratch also made it a workout, but I was able to prevail. I hope you enjoyed reading, and I'll see you next time. I'm back, and I don't intend to give up...ever!


	11. Reverse II: Clash of the Dark Powers

A/N: See! I told you I wasn't giving up on this story! For today's chapter let's depart from the insanity of Sora, Luigi and Yoshi. That's right; we are heading back to catch up with Riku, as his crusade through Castle Oblivion continues. Enjoy.

**Reverse II: Clash of the Dark Powers**

The hallways of Castle Oblivion were more desolate than a desert. In every direction you could see only the color white as you strolled down the hallway. The basement was no exception; it was just as empty. Located in the basement area was a narrow hallway that was about seven feet long. As one would stroll down it, they could notice three doors on each side of the hallway. Near the top of the door was a small diamond shaped window, used to peer inside the room that resided behind the door.

Everything was tranquil; not a sound could be heard, nor could a presence be seen. Suddenly, a giant oval-shaped portal of darkness manifested itself in the center of the hall. Seconds later, one of the mysterious figures that dwelled within the castle emerged from the portal. Much like Axel and the others, he donned the same grayish cloak, a cloak that represented their very existence, cold and lifeless, like a rag doll forced to spend eternity in a garbage bin. While he did wear the same clothing as his fellow fraternities, he was well built and taller than them. He walked down the hallway until he arrived at a door on his left.

Placing his hand on the knob, he slowly opened the door. He was careful not to make a sound as he entered the room. The room he entered was in fact a small laboratory. Already the sounds of bubbles boiling penetrated the quietness of his ears. To the left of the figure was a myriad of test tubes resting against the metal surface of a test tube rack, which was located on a small white table. In front of the rack and to each side of it were beakers that looked like they were meticulously washed by hand. To his right were a few boiling tubes hanging over Bunsen burners. The flame could be noticed coming out of the barrel of the burner. The liquid inside the tubes boiled violently. Northwest of the room he noticed a white bookcase stacked with a plethora of books. They were all stacked up nice, straight and neat. They also appeared to be in alphabetical order.

Ahead of the man was a small desk with books piled up on top of each other. He noticed someone sitting in a chair at the desk. He too wore the same gray coat, but his hood was not over his head. This man had long, light yellow hair. His face was rigid and slightly wrinkly, indicating that he was in his old age. He was currently writing in his notebook. It was obvious that this man was a scientist, and he was writing down notes from the experiments he executed. The large man walked over to the scientist and slowly leaned over him.

"So, any good findings today, Vexen?" the man said nonchalantly. His voice was hard yet calm at the same time.

Vexen turned around to face the calm giant with a seething look in his eyes

"Lexaeus!" Vexen said with irritation in his voice. "What is the meaning of this sudden inconvenience!?"

Lexaeus stood back up and removed his hood to reveal himself. He had short, dark, brown hair that curved upward. His face was rigid, which perfectly complemented his body structure and tone of voice. His sky blue eyes had a somber yet deadly look of malice to them.

"It is Zexion," Lexaeus replied calmly. "He requires our presence immediately."

Vexen frowned. He was not exactly fond of Zexion, mainly because of his disrespectful attitude towards Vexen. An hour ago, Zexion detected a strange entity breach the entrance of Castle Oblivion, and it currently wandered the basement like a lost puppy. Zexion said he would inform the duo on the development of this case, but Vexen did not give two cents about what was going on. Most likely Zexion made a mistake, and it was just a rat that wandered into the castle. Besides, he was too busy to deal with someone insignificant and juvenile like Zexion. But, to enlighten Zexion, he decided to go.

Vexen stood up from his desk, lightly grunting, "Alright. I'll go to see what it is Zexion wants. This better be important, because I am too busy to be disturbed by the likes of him."

"Of course." Lexaeus simply replied with a nod.

The two men exited the room and walked down the hallway, unaware of the events that were to come

--

Elsewhere in Castle Oblivion, a lone figure stood in a room that was a bit different from every other room in the castle. This room, while it had the same patterns on the walls, had a dark blue color, almost as dark as the deep blue sea. The figure, also donning the cloak, stood in the center of the room. His chin was lightly resting on his hand as if he were in deep thought. His hood was also down, so his face could be seen. He was a young man around his mid-twenties. He had silver hair, with many bangs that went down the front of his face. The bangs covered the right side of his eyes.

As he stood there contemplating, he could feel the presence of someone near by him. Turning to his left, he saw Lexaeus materialize before him. The young man stood calmly as the visitor made himself conspicuous to the naked eye. The two focused their gaze on one another; both of them stared at each other without showing any emotion. Finally, a chuckle escaped the mouth of the silver haired man.

"What, no hello for me, Lexaeus?" the silver haired man said, slightly smirking. "It's true what they say about you strong silent types: the words from your mouth seldom see the light of day."

The silver haired man felt a presence similar to Lexaeus moments later. His smirk soon turned into a scowl upon seeing an angry Vexen appear next to Lexaeus.

"Zexion!" the old man yelled at the youth. "What is going on here!? You better have a good elucidation for this disruption!"

Zexion rotated his body until Lexaeus and Vexen could see his entire side. The silver haired man closed his eyes and crossed his arms.

"Ah, Vexen," he sniggered. "How nice it is to see you as well. Tell me, what sort of experiment did I disrupt you from? An experiment that will purge those wrinkles from your old face?"

"What was that?" Vexen said, his voice slightly rising.

Ignoring Vexen's response, he turned right to the old man.

"And you know, it's deplorable," Zexion continued. "Our organization used to be the rope that binds us." He narrowed his eyes at Vexen, saying, "And now it's full of kinks."

Vexen was appalled by what he just heard. He was just about ready to send Zexion straight to oblivion. He started to march angrily towards Zexion.

"How dare you say that to me!" Vexen snarled at Zexion. "I'm a higher rank than you! You have no right to jest me so!"

Zexion rolled his eyes and muttered, "And they say I'm supposed to respect my elders."

Lexaeus put his giant arm out in front of Vexen.

"Vexen, compose yourself," the silent giant said sternly. "We have more pressing matters at hand." He turned to Zexion. "Enough of this nonsense...Zexion, tell us, what did you detect?"

Zexion turned away from the two men while he folded his hands behind his back.

"Visitors no doubt," Zexion replied. "Their scents were stronger than any normal beings; both of them have incredible power. One of them was King Bowser of the Mushroom Kingdom, but…"

Vexen scoffed incredulously, "Absurd. That simpleminded reptile is no more. He cannot return from the realm of darkness of his own volition."

Zexion cleared his throat, "If you'd let me finish. The scent belonged to a very convincing double; but I can't say much beyond that, since much like the real Koopa King, this doppelganger was cast into the world of darkness. We have our other visitor to thank for that."

"Who is the other visitor?" Lexaeus asked curiously.

Zexion shook his head. A look of uncertainty could be noticed in his eyes.

"I don't know," Zexion replied dubiously. "However, there is something I find quite alarming. His scent...it was similar to...no...not very similar...exactly like the Superior's."

"Rubbish!" Vexen snorted in disbelief.

"No, fact," Zexion corrected him. "I don't know whether to consider this good news or bad news."

"Then perhaps we should bide our time?" Lexaeus suggested.

"Yes," Zexion said with a nod. "Let's wait to see what develops."

--

Back in the basement, Riku walked the lonely halls of Castle Oblivion, with his hands firmly placed in his pockets. This was all happening so suddenly, he thought. Ansem was once again on the prowl; some mysterious voice was pestering him, and Mario seemed to be popping in and out of nowhere. Was Mario an illusion formed in his mind because of the lack of rest he was getting, or was the plumber really trying to reach out to him? Either way, he could not shake this thought off. However, things were worse than they seemed for Riku. As he strolled down the hallway, he could taste something fowl on his tongue. It was so fowl that it was practically disgusting, yet he sort of liked the taste. He stopped in the middle of the room and looked up at the ceiling.

"Something…tastes kinda funny," Riku said curiously. He brought his head back down. "What is it? It's so familiar—"

It then hit him; it was the one thing he was trying to run away from. The one thing he loathed more than anything. The one thing that was like a leech, it just latched onto him and never let go.

Darkness….

"Well, this is wonderful," Riku groaned. "I can taste the darkness. What happened to me? The darkness is so strong that it's now seeping into my senses. Next thing you know I'll only be able to hear Ansem screaming darkness 24-7."

Riku could feel chills run up his spine from saying that. If there's one thing he hated (much like Luigi) it was hearing Ansem say the word, "darkness."

"Actually, I think I'd rather taste darkness than HEAR it!" Riku spat out, and with that said, he sighed. "Well, better press on."

Before he got a chance to move, he was stopped by the sounds of a familiar voice.

"Hey, no worries, Riku." said a cheerful voice.

Riku's eyes lit up in excitement from hearing that. It was Mario again! Before he could reply, a fuzzy image of the Italian Plumber appeared in front of the boy, startling him.

"Whoa!" Riku cried. "Mr. Mario? Is that you?"

Mario smiled, "But of course. It's-a-me, Mario."

Riku put his hands on his hips and chuckled.

"Do you have to say, 'it's-a-me' every time you make an entrance?" Riku asked the plumber.

Mario shrugged his shoulders, "Sorry. It's-a-force of habit. Mm hmm."

"Anyway, what happened to you?" Riku asked him in concern. "You look all….fuzzy."

"That's because I'm-a-communicating to you with a little bit of my power," Mario explained. "The walls of this castle prevent-a-me from sending anymore. However, that's-a-not the case. The reason I'm-a-talking to you is because I have a request."

Riku was surprised by what he heard. The legendary hero of the Mushroom King had a request for him?

"A request from you?" Riku asked in surprise. "Alright, I'll do my best to fulfill it, sir."

"Hoo-hoo," Mario chuckled modestly. "It's-a-nothing; but what I'm about to say benefits you more than anything."

"Me?" Riku blinked in confusion.

"Listen, Riku, don't let-a-go of yourself just because darkness has a hold on you," Mario said with a serious yet reassuring tone in his voice. "You gotta fight the darkness from within! It won't be easy though, just like making a pizza-pie." He then closed his eyes, picturing a pizza right on a plate. "Mmm. With pepperoni, anchovies, some extra cheese…"

Riku cleared his throat, "You were saying?"

Mario, realizing he was going off on a tangent, snickered to himself in embarrassment.

"Oh. Sorry," Mario apologized in his happy tone. "Got carried away." His smile turned into a serious glare. "But even if the battle is tough, just remember that even in the darkest darkness there's always a little light that continues to burn."

"Light within the darkness?" Riku asked in confusion.

"Of course!" Mario cried happily. "We saw it, remember? The far-off, welcoming light inside the door to darkness….Kingdom Hearts! It'll show you the way, Riku. Whatever you do though, don't give up. Please. Believe in the light. That is all I ask."

Riku did not know if he could keep that promise. As of right now, the light was hidden deep within a blanket of darkness that was hard to seek out. It was like looking for a single strip of hay in a needle-stack; every moment is filled with nothing but pain until you find the comfort. Regardless, Riku would do his best to keep his promise, not only to Mario but to himself.

"I'll do my best." Riku said as he bowed his head with confidence.

"That's-a-the spirit," Mario said enthusiastically. "I knew I could count on you. And I'll-a-do what I can to join you. Just-a-give me some time. I promise I'll-a-come to help!"

Riku was relieved to hear that; he did not want to walk this path alone. He felt that if he was with some he knew and trust, then he would not lose his sanity. Just listening to the sound of his own heart beating made him feel tense.

Mario stuck out his hand for Riku to shake. As Riku touched it, he was surprised to see that their hands went through each other.

"You're….an illusion?" Riku gasped in shock. "My hand passes right through you."

"But we shook hands, in our hearts," Mario pointed out with a gentle smile. "We're connected, you and me."

Riku scoffed, "That sounds a bit corny if you ask me."

"Okay, maybe it's a little corny, but you know it's-a-true," Mario said in a singy-songy voice. "Right?"

Riku shrugged, "I guess so."

"Well then, Riku," Mario began to say as he faded away. "See you next time."

Riku watched Mario's image fade into nothingness, with a saddened look in his eyes. All alone again, he thought; but, he had to press on. Slowly but surely, Riku walked over to the stairway at the end of the hall. He walked up it until he arrived at the top and faced the gateway to the next world. The silver haired boy fumbled around in his pockets to locate the cards Ansem gave him.

Moments later he pulled the cards out, glancing at them carefully. The cards he acquired from the once benevolent monarch of Hallow Bastion were in fact the world cards Sora received a few hours ago. Riku could not help but groan with displeasure; if what Bowser said early was true, then he would have to confront the other's that affiliated with the Koopa King.

"Guess I'll have to wing it," Riku said with a shrug. "It doesn't really matter which world I choose; they all meant nothing to me anyways."

Riku held the cards up in his right hand. He counted each of them, seeing how many there were. The total amount was five. Decisions, decisions. Riku flexed his fingers and picked out the card far right. He scanned over the image of the chosen card, instantly chuckling upon recognizing the world.

"Hyrule." he said in a low pitched tone.

Out of all the people he worked with in Bowser's group, he had to admit, Ganondorf was the only normal one. The other members were either thickheaded or clumsy. Ganondorf, on the other hand, showed intelligence, and he was one of Sora's deadliest foes. Riku had slight respects for the king of evil, but like the others, he contained the foul stench of darkness; a stench Riku was struggling against like a simple game of tug of war, though in this game, the stakes were high.

With a heavy sigh, Riku held the card up to the gate. The door reacted instantly to the card. The gate in front of Riku opened, and a bright light appeared from within it. Wasting no time, Riku scurried into the door. And so began his next adventure through a familiar world.

**World Name: Hyrule**

Riku materialized in the center of the Hyrule market place, and looked around at the new environment. While he only made a brief appearance there, he never did get a chance to see the market place. It was just as he pictured it to be—a barren wasteland deprived of life. To his left he could see the stores, with the windows and doors boarded up. On the floor he noticed refuse lying around, which consisted of broken bottles, wrinkle papers, and he even saw a yellow mask that was in the shape of a fox.

There was a big breeze that flew through the area. Riku started to shiver violently because of it. He embraced himself in order give himself some form of warmth. While he did that, he started complaining to himself.

"Man, why do I always wear sleeveless shirts?" Riku stuttered from shivering. "I knew I should've listened to mom when she said to have a jacket on a hand."

The silver haired boy walked towards the right side of town, continuing to huddle himself. As he approached two buildings that stood adjacent to one another yet twenty feet apart, he could not help but hear an eerie melody ring in his ears; the melody itself sounded distant and far away. However, as Riku started wandering down the path ahead of him, the music became louder. Furthermore, he could not help but follow the music; it was like how the Sires of Greek mythology lured their victims to their death with a blissful tune, though, the music Riku heard was anything but beautiful. It sounded like it was being played on a giant organ.

The boy tried to resist, but he was still drawn towards it. In his mind he tried to tell his feet to stop, but for some reason, it was like he had no control over what he did. Riku continued to follow the sound until he was stopped by three dark puddles that materialized from the ground. Miraculously, this sudden interruption caused the daunting music to cease playing, thus letting Riku regain control of his voluntary muscles. He had a strong hunch as to what just appeared in the ground.

"Heartless." Riku said with a bold grin.

Sure enough, three Gerudo Thieves appeared right in front of the boy, swords drawn and ready to kill. Before he could do anything, he heard strange noises coming from behind him. Veering his head in that direction, he saw three more Gerudo Thieves standing behind him, ready to assail him at any given moment. He was out numbered! However, the boy showed no fear against this dangerous game of chance. In fact, he kind of liked the challenge.

Riku lifted his arm over his head and called upon his weapon of choice, the Souleater. Already a surge of power coursed through the blade; light blue electricity flew throughout the sword, making a light fizzling sound. That power surge represented Riku's lust for a challenge.

He was more than ready to take them on.

"Don't you guys ever learn?" Riku snickered. "It doesn't matter how many of you there are…."

He charged right towards the three in front of them, with his blade held out at his side.

"…you still lose all the same!" he cried.

The battle ensued as the heartless in the middle leaped right at Riku, curled into a ball and pointed its blade out, vertically. Riku twirled his blade to clash with the creature as it spun right by him. As it landed, a heartless from behind tripped the boy with its right leg. As Riku started to fall over on his side, the third heartless did a "leap frog" over the one that tripped him and kicked Riku, full force, with both feet, right in the chest. Riku's back hit the ground, and he slid across the floor from the powerful blow, sliding right into the three thieves behind him. The boy managed to stop right in front of the heartless in the middle of the trio, who swiftly brought its blade down on him.

Riku rolled over onto his side to dodge the attack. After dodging the attack, he scrambled to get on his feet. He managed to reach a squatted position before the heartless on the left came running in with a diagonal slash. Placing his right hand on the ground for support, he put his left foot up to block the attack. He glanced to the right to see another heartless coming at him, ready to strike horizontally. As it did so, Riku pushed off the heartless he blocked and dove over the heartless attacking him. When he landed, he did one complete roll on the ground before getting up into a knelt position. Simultaneously, as he got into the knelt position, he brought his blade up diagonally to block the third heartless that was about to strike him.

The two stayed in that position for the moment, struggling against each other. Riku then broke the struggle by head-butting the creature right in the head. The creature could not help but grasp its head from the throbbing pain. Riku stood back up and ran for the stunned heartless, though he didn't get very far. The group of heartless he slid away from managed to catch up with him, and they were on the attack. One of the three jumped in front of him, defending his ally. The two engaged in sword fight for a few moments, with their blades swinging back and forth against each other.

The pattern soon changed as Riku attacked with a thrust. The creature moved its body left, leaped onto Riku's back, rolled over it, and landed behind him. The heartless that recovered from Riku's head-butt came in, swinging its blade fiercely. Riku was about ready to attack it when the heartless that rolled over his back leaped onto his back, squeezing its limbs around his arms like a grinder ready to crush something. Riku could not move his arms, so he could strike the creature. The other four thieves joined their partner and circled Riku, who at this time was grunting and groaning to get the heartless off; it did not even budge an inch.

"Oh, so you wanna play dirty!?" Riku grunted lightly. "That's fine by me!"

Riku threw his sword onto the ground and lifted the lower part of his arms to grab the wrists of the heartless on top of him. The heartless in front of him leaped into the air and flew right at him. With every ounce of strength, Riku flipped the heartless over and brought it down on the heartless about to attack him. Both thieves fell onto the ground, with one on top of the other. The boy then kicked both creatures away with the heel of his foot. Riku grabbed his sword and brought it up vertically to knock the blade of another heartless up; this one came from behind him. Riku did a loop-de-loop with his blade forth more times; each time the heartless could just barely block it. On the fourth time, Riku put enough force into the attack to knock the heartless off its feet as it blocked.

The fourth heartless from the circle came and tripped the boy, which made him land on his stomach. The creature swung its blade diagonally towards him, but Riku brought his blade up with his right hand to block. Riku then fiercely swatted at the creature while on the ground; their blades collided with each other seven times.

Another heartless from the circle came in, bringing its blade down. Riku took notice of this and spun out of the way, avoiding the attack. Riku quickly got onto his knees, but a punch to the face by the same heartless he dodged knocked him right to the ground. However, as the heartless was about to get him, Riku brought his knees into his chest and then kicked the heartless right in the chest with both feet, sending it flying across the area.

Riku got to his feet and scurried over towards the small store that once belonged to the deranged Happy Mask Salesman. The six thieves pursued him. Their eyes were like magnets, they would follow his every movement. Upon arriving at the Happy Mask shop, Riku could notice a large barrel to the left of him, standing straight up. He climbed onto the barrel and stood up upon reaching the top. Then from the barrel he leaped onto the ledge of the roof, and he pulled himself onto it. Two of the six thieves went around each side of the building, and using all the strength in their feet, they both leaped onto the edge of the roof.

By that time, Riku had reached the center of the roof, which had a flat surface to stand on. The boy glanced over to see the two thieves approaching him.

"Dang, they're fast!" Riku exclaimed, stunned by how they managed to catch up with him.

The two thieves leaped onto the flat surface; one landed in front of him while the other landed behind him. Riku gritted his teeth. They were planning something, he thought. He did his best to keep his eyes on the heartless in front of him, while concurrently glancing over his shoulder to see the one behind him.

Moments later, both thieves ran right at Riku. The one in front of him leaped into the air while the one behind him continued running at him. The duo was trying to make sure they could hit at least one part of his body. However, there was a chance Riku could dodge the assault. He waited until they were in approximate range of him. As the heartless from behind swatted at him, Riku did a back flip over the thief, while simultaneously dodging the attack of the heartless from above. As Riku landed to do a handstand, the heartless he did the back flip over spun around and swatted horizontally at him; as soon as Riku saw that, he pushed off of his hands and kicked himself over the heartless. As Riku became right side up, he brought his blade down on the heartless in front him, who put its blade up to block.

Riku then turned away from the heartless, still landing towards the ground, and delivered a kick to the other heartless, knocking it away. Next, after Riku landed, he took the sword with his left hand and brought it down on the other heartless, to which the creature once again blocked; and then, he slid his blade across the heartless' blade, which caused a spark; in turn, that blinded the heartless from the bright flash for the moment. Riku turned around to see the other heartless delivering a thrust to the boy's chest; he jerked his chest left to dodge. Both creatures thrust at the same time, and Riku slightly moved out of the way. This resulted in both blades tapping the edge of each other.

Riku seized the moment by giving an underhanded slash, knocking both blades out of their hands. He then elbowed the one on his left off the building, and turned, delivering a dropkick to the other one, also knocking it off the building. Riku ran off the flat part of the roof and slid to the edge of the building. He looked down to see the other four heartless angrily swinging their blades, waiting anxiously for their victim to fall. Additionally, the other two thieves Riku knocked rejoined their comrades. Riku slumped his shoulders.

"Don't you have anything better to do," Riku moaned in annoyance. He then realized, "Oh, wait. No you don't, actually."

Riku needed to devise a plan to rid himself of all six thieves – at once. His eyes drifted away from the heartless and focused on the blue awning located above the once food market. That's it, he thought! Riku leaped off of the building, flying over the heartless in the process. He gracefully landed on the ground and dashed away to the market, with six yellow eyed fiends of darkness pursuing him. Riku ran over to the awning and cut the left edge off its support. Next, he leaped onto counter in front of the market, and grabbed the awning. He tightly wrapped it around his left wrist until there was no more slack.

He watched as the heartless came at him, two by two. It was time to finish this! Riku lifted his feet into the air, and kicking his feet forward, he swung right towards the heartless. Using his right hand, he pointed the blade downward and cut three heartless right down the middle. He then swung back and finished the remaining three off. Riku cut himself off the awning and landed on the ground. The battle was over.

"See? You lose all the same," Riku said, restating his point. "Now to continue."

No sooner did the battle cease, the same eerie organ music flooded the hallow void of Riku's ears. Already he could feel himself being drawn towards it.

"Not again," Riku sighed. "Is this some sorta trick?"

As he walked in the direction of the sound, he came up with a hypothesis as to what was going on. This must be Ganondorf's vile handiwork; after all, he remembered that Ganondorf enjoyed playing the organ it to put his mind at peace. Who'd want to put his mind at peace through all that racket, Riku thought? Nevertheless, the king of evil must have cast a spell which forces Riku to follow the music; but Riku could care less. He knew the only way to leave this world was to beat Ganondorf; he gathered that much from his battle against Bowser.

Riku continued to follow the path for a few moments. All the awhile he was thinking about Kairi and Sora. He hoped they were okay, albeit the latter was in the same castle as him. Finally, after a few minutes of walking in an inadvertent manner, he arrived at the somber kingdom of Ganondorf. It looked just as it did before Sora, Link and the sages undone everything the evil king did. Riku looked up at Ganondorf's castle; not nearly ominous as Hallow Bastion, but still pretty eerie. The music stopped the moment he arrived. Now what? Was it a trick? Regardless, Riku could not get into the castle.

Riku shook his head, dumbfounded, "Okay. You invite me to your lair, yet how am I suppose to get in there? I'd call him the king of stupidly but Ansem already won that title."

Suddenly, a door (a Castle Oblivion door) appeared right in front of the boy, startling him.

"What the...?" Riku exclaimed. "Where did this come from?" He thought it over for the moment before he drew a conclusion, "Oh, I see. It must be because of the castle's laws. That means I need a card to enter."

He looked around, but was unable to see a yellow card.

"Oh!" Riku said in frustrations. "Who's the idiot who thought using CARDS to get through a door was a good idea!? Seriously! That's like needing loose change to use a toilet.."

Riku put his head down...only to notice a golden card on the ground. His expression changed from frustration to confusion.

"Hey, where did this come from?" Riku wondered, and he picked up the card.

"That would be my doing." said a familiar voice; it belonged to the same one that guided him to the castle in the first place.

"Oh, it's you," Riku said, lukewarm about the voice's appearance. "Why? Why are you helping me?"

"I am simply helping you progress," the voice replied. "Ultimately, you must make your own decisions. I can't help you with that. Do you wish to proceed or turn back?"

Riku looked at the card for the moment. It was not even a question.

"As long as that scent still courses through my sinuses, I'll never turn back." Riku answered.

"Proceed then." the voice said.

Riku held the card up and the door opened. Once he went through, there was no turning back. Taking a deep breath, he walked into the door, and arrived inside the room Sora and friends fought the evil king earlier. Ahead he could see Ganondrof's giant organ. The boy's jaw dropped, simply awestricken by its incredible height. Looking downward, he could see someone sitting at the keyboards of the instrument; of course, it was Ganondorf himself. He was playing a soft tune that was just as intimidating as the last song.

Riku's body felt numb just from hearing that music. Not even the calm and collective friend of Sora could remain detached when confronting the evil king. He had this eerie presences that made your mind weep with fright. After gently stroking a few more keys, he stopped. A small snicker could be heard.

"So, you're here," Ganondorf simply said. A grin formed on his lips, "I could sense the very essences of your soul wandering this moldering world. In fact, I knew you would come to this world – even before you arrived."

"That so," Riku said with a raised eyebrow. "Do pray tell, how?"

Ganondorf rose from his chair and turned to face his advisory – who at one point was his comrade.

"I'm afraid that is one question which will remain ambiguous to you," Ganondorf replied. "You have much to learn about your surroundings, child. Why ruin the fun? But enough of this frivolous chit chatter. You and I both know why you're here."

"Because you used some weird voodoo to lure me?" Riku inquired.

"Yes," Ganondorf answered. "But it runs much deeper than that. It's our connection that brought us here."

"Connection?" Riku said in bafflement.

"It's something you and I both possess," Ganondorf elaborated. "When two people contain the same thing, it binds them together like a rope, and no matter how far apart they walk, it just reels them back in."

Riku frowned, as he already knew what the connection was, "Lemme guess: the darkness."

"Indeed," Ganondorf confirmed. "It courses through your body much like my own. It's something you've become accustomed to, and it screams for you."

"Look, you can't change my mind, Ganondweeb," Riku said, slightly enraged. "I make my own choices. Influence from others just throws you off your own course ."

"Really?" Ganondorf scoffed. "Putting it into retrospect, didn't Bowser influence your decision to join us? Wasn't it Ansem whose influence made you accept the darkness in the first place?"

Riku could not help but feel deflated from that comment. Bowser and Ansem did have a crucial impact on his decisions, but he learned from his mistakes; and he would never let anyone do it again.

"That was then," Riku pointed out. "This is now. I won't let it happen again."

"I see," Ganondorf nodded. "So you sway towards the path of light?"

"I sway towards neither at this point," Riku shook his head "I only follow one path: my path."

He whipped out the Souleater and got into his fighting position.

"And I don't want to see you walking on it!" Riku concluded with a sense of bravery in his eyes.

Ganondorf just started to laugh at Riku's strong yet meaningless words.

"Your sentiments are pointless," Ganondorf laughed manically. "It's too late to escape the darkness now. You can't make another choice. However, seeing that you are too stubborn to accept the darkness, perhaps you're willing to accept death instead."

Ganondorf held up his hand and snapped his finger. Instantly, the organ behind him faded away. Riku also noticed the floor was becoming transparent. Without giving it a thought, Riku ran back towards the edge of the room, and leaped onto the giant squared platforms; he did so just in time, too. Part of the floor was gone now. Right in the middle of the room though was a rectangular platform, with ladders sticking out on each long side.

Ganondorf ascend into the sky from the platform and called upon his own sword, which appeared in his left hand. The sword was double the size of Riku's own weapon. The silver haired boy had to be careful; Ganondorf was one of Sora's toughest advisories, so he was going to be tenacious. Ganondorf pointed his blade right at Riku and flew straight towards him. As Ganondorf got close, Riku leaped to his left to avoid the thrust.

The evil king landed on the ground and veered his body towards Riku. The boy was ready, with both hands firmly gripped around the handle of the blade. The ultimate clash of darkness was about to initiate. Their gazes were fixed on each other's eyes; not once did they blink. The room was completely silent. The only sound both could hear were their hearts beating from the adrenaline rushing in. Finally, Riku ran right at Ganondorf, letting out a mighty battle cry.

Riku brought his blade down on Ganondorf, but he moved out of the way. Ganondorf brought his blade down to counter; Riku brought his blade upward and clashed with the evil king. For a few seconds their blades extended clashes with one another. Riku, however, seem to be defending more than attacking. Ganondorf's moves were swift and unpredictable. Seeing as how Ganondorf was older than Riku, he obviously had more experience. After a few exchanges, Riku threw a punch at Ganondorf with his left hand; he dodged it. Riku next tried a kick, but Ganondorf grabbed the boy's heel, and lifted right into the air. This caused Riku to do a backflip.

"Whoa!" Riku cried.

As soon as he landed right side up, he had to instantly leap left to dodge a giant sword coming down on him. Riku brought his blade in diagonally and clashed with Ganondorf again. Their clings and clangs were so loud that it would wake the gods of heaven. Ganondorf continued to dominate the battle, giving Riku little chance to get a hit in. After walking back a few feet, Riku leaped back to distance himself from Ganondorf. He quickly brought his left hand back, which held the sword, and threw it right at the Gerudo.

The evil king brought his blade up horizontally and let the Souleater bounce right off of it. The blade flew right back at Riku; the blade part pointed at the boy, who ducked under it. The blade flew right into the wall, which it ended up getting stuck to. Ganondorf spun his sword around vertically like a fan, in which Riku slightly moved his body left and right to dodge. Of course, Ganondorf was backing him into the wall. He then thrust at Riku's head, and he tilted his head right; but he had to tilt it the other way the moment it was straight again. Ganondorf then swung the blade right at his chest. Riku jerked his back to dodge it, and unfortunately, his back hit the wall.

"Your blood shall rest on my sword!" Ganondorf shouted, running at the boy, ready to swing the sword like a bat.

Riku need to think of something – and fast. He looked up to notice the Souleater still stuck in the wall. An idea hit him! As Ganondorf took a mighty swing, Riku grabbed the handle of his weapon with both hands and pulled himself up to avoid the attack. Ganondorf swung again, this time in an upward movement. Riku used the heel of his foot to kick the attack away. With Ganondorf distracted for the moment, he used all of his strength to pull himself over and onto his sword; while Riku did that, Ganondorf opened his right hand and a gleaming ball of energy appeared in his hand, making a fizzling noise. Meanwhile, Riku finally pulled himself over his sword and landed on top of it. He turned to face his opponent, and gasped upon seeing the energy ball.

Ganondorf threw the ball at Riku, and Riku did a side flip right off of the sword. As he landed, he could hear the sounds of electricity hissing. It's a good thing he dodged that, or else he would have been fried! Ganondorf shouted out in rage as he ran at Riku again. The boy ran over to his sword and pulled it out of the wall. He turned around the block Ganondorf's sword, which, at that moment, was coming down on him. The two struggled against each other for a few moments; neither one seemed to be backing down. At last, Riku used every ounce of strength to push the dark king back.

The boy tried to swat at the king, now that he was vulnerable; however, Ganondorf recovered quickly and leaped into the air, avoiding the attack. Riku gritted his teeth. This was not going to be easy. Riku leaped after him, and the two started swing at each other in midair. Each time their blades connected, the force pushed both of them back; and then right after they would go back in to do it again. This happened five more times; they would go in, collide, and get knocked back.

On the sixth time, both fighters got into a blade lock and slowly rotated around the room, airborne. The two released their grip moments later, and Riku swatted at Gaondorf's head. The king kicked his feet downward, just narrowly avoiding Riku's attack. Ganondorf took his sword and threw it into the ground; the blade part stuck to the ground. He landed on the handle part of the blade and pushed himself off it, flying right at the boy. Riku's eyes widened in shock from Ganondorf's unprecedented maneuver. The man rammed his head right into Riku's chin, knocking the boy backwards. It felt like a bull on steroids just rammed him; it was that powerful! Ganondorf clasped his hands together and hammered Riku right to the ground.

He could feel his head throbbing from the escalating pain as he plummeted to the ground. He spun himself right side up and landed. Ganondorf landed, too, and flew right at him. Riku slashed, but the king stopped a few feet away from him, side stepped left, and flew past him. He then stopped ten feet away and flew into Riku. As got closer, he spun around a few times, and after being two feet away from, he delivered a back kick to Riku's lower back. The boy started to fall over from the blow, but Ganondorf grabbed his shirt collar and punched him in the face. The force from the attack sent him flying across the area until he collided with the king's giant sword.

Riku rubbed head, still feeling aches dancing around his muscles. He was not going to give up so easily. Ganondorf flew towards the boy yet again, ready to attack. Riku kicked to his feet and rolled under the man as he flew by. Ganondorf grabbed his sword and landed on the ground. Riku, while slightly exhausted, still had plenty of fight left as he charged again. Riku thrust at Ganondorf – only to miss again, as the king spun around him and elbowed him from behind. He then turned his body in the other direction, delivering a round house kick, which sent Riku spinning towards the edge of the platform. However, as he started to fall off it, he grabbed a hold of the ledge with his left hand (his right hand held the Souleater). The boy looked down to see the ground bellow; it was pitch black! He did not know what was down there, and frankly, he did not want to find out. Regardless, it was a pretty big fall. He thought his heart leaped right into his throat as he continued to stare at it; but he had more important things to worry about.

Ganondorf wasted no time in running over to knock Riku off the edge. Ganondorf brought his blade down, but Riku put his own weapon up to defend. Riku continued to block the attacks, desperately hoping to keep Ganondorf at bay until he could pull himself up. Sadly, that did not last, as the king diverted his attention to Riku's other hand. Thinking quickly, Riku stabbed his sword into the side of the platform and moved his other hand away, just avoiding Ganondorf's attack. He wrapped his free hand around the handle, and pushed his body up until his feet could touch the side. Next, he pushed off of the side, spun around and grabbed a hold of the ladder located around the center platform.

Riku placed his sword in his pocket and hurried up the ladder. Ganondorf was not going to let him get very far. He charged up another energy ball and threw right at him. The boy could see his shadow starting to form on a wall from a bright light. He simply let go of the ladder, and fell right towards the ground. The energy collided with the wall, exploding upon contact. Riku grabbed onto the ladder and started climbing up again. He was expecting Ganondorf to shoot more energy attacks, but to his surprise, he was not. Was he planning something? He soon reached the top and pulled himself onto the platform, and turned around to face Ganondorf – he gasped in horror by what he saw.

Ganondorf had his arms raised above his head, and was holding a giant black energy ball in his hands. The moment Riku laid eyes on it was the moment Ganondorf released it; as he did, it exploded into five small energy balls, taking Riku completely by surprise. He braced himself as all five hit him straight on, causing an explosion to ensue. Ganondorf laughed evilly as the area lit up from the explosion. He waited patiently as the commotion started to die down. As the smoke started to clear from the explosion, he could not see a body on the platform. Ganondorf was taken back by this. Where did he go?

"Up here!" a voice bellowed out from above.

Ganondorf looked up – only to see a sword slash him right across the chest. The king screamed in pain and took a few steps back, clutching his chest tightly. Prior to the explosion reaching him, Riku dove onto his stomach to avoid the attack, and while it was dying down, Riku leaped into the air to commence his ambush. Riku landed in front of the king and returned to his starting position. He was panting from the vigorous exercise he got from fighting. Ganondorf, on the other hand, was panting rather loudly. It was so loud that it reverberated throughout the room.

At first he thought Ganondorf was finished – no – it was not over. Ganondorf could endure more than that. Riku could not help but grin.

"Come on, Ganondorf," Riku said, unfazed by Ganondorf's actions. "I know you're faking. You don't think I'm aware of your trickery, do you?"

Ganondorf stopped, and smirked while still holding his position, "Hmm...clever boy. I figured you were onto my deception. But don't let this moment of glory go to your head. Twas a lucky hit. In case you haven't noticed, I've been holding the advantage; and based on what I'm seeing, you're giving it your all."

"Heh, I still have a few tricks left," Riku smirked with confidence. "Besides, if Sora beat you, I don't see why I can."

"It's because the keyblade master had help," Ganondorf pointed out. "Surely if those simpletons were by your side, the odds would be tipped in your favor."

"Whoa! Listen up, buddy," said a taken back Riku. "My philosophy differs from Sora's; he relies on his friends for strength. I, on the other hand, rely on my own strength. When it comes down to it, the only person you can rely on is yourself; and I may be sounding preachy like him but it's what I live by."

"So be it," Ganondorf chuckled. "You want to die alone? Then be my guest!"

Ganondorf's left hand started glowing a yellow color, and he slammed it right into the floor. Riku started to lose his balance as the ground shook violently. He noticed that they were both standing on single giant square, and it was starting to slide off the platform. Ganondorf laughed manically as the block got closer to falling off. Then, Ganondorf tried to rush Riku, but he did a summersault over Ganondorf. As he spun over the king's head, he kicked out both feat and hit the man in the back of the head. Ganondorf stumbled onto the ground from the blow. He jerked his left to see Riku landing on the platform.

He angrily stood back up and ran right at Riku again. The two exchanged strikes once again, clashing back and forth five times. Concurrently, the square was falling straight to the ground. Riku brought the Souleater down on Ganondorf, but he effortlessly pushed it the other way. This was followed by Ganondorf punching the boy right in the face. Riku wobbled back a few feet from the hit, and once again ran at Ganondorf, who, at the moment, stood towards the edge of the square. Riku slashed at him, only to become mortified by seeing the king lean backwards and fall off the square.

When he started to fall, he swung under the square and grabbed onto the other side, and then pulled himself up. Riku turned around to see Ganondorf deliver a kick right to the jaw, which knocked him into the air. Ganondorf flew after him and kicked poor Riku in the chest, instantly making him plummet to the ground. Ganondorf flew past the falling body and landed on the ground, right underneath him. Ganondorf brought his knee up, hitting Riku's spine. The boy winced from sharp pain in his spine. The force of the attack also sent him a few feet back into the air.

Simultaneously, as Riku was airborne, Ganondorf clinched his right first. In his hand a purple mist formed. He brought the fist back, and punched Riku, full force, as soon as the boy was in range. Riku went flying across the area and crash landed into a bunch of pots that were lying on the floor. Dust and particles formed because of it. The boy started coughing from the excessive amount of dust that invaded his throat. He could not even see because of the dust, nor could he move. The attack crippled him. It felt like he got hit by a train. Maybe Ganondorf was right, Riku thought. No! I can't give in! Riku began to sit up but a hand grabbed his shirt collar and pulled into air. Riku could see Ganondorf's ugly mug start to form from within the dust. He stood there, grinning deviously. Just seeing that face made him want to punch it.

"A valiant effort," Ganondorf sniggered with pride. "But your efforts were futile. You can never beat me."

There was only one way out of this, Riku thought; but words alone could not describe how much he detested in doing it. It is what Ansem would want, and what would greatly displease Mario. He had little time to think as Ganondorf pointed his sword at Riku's chest. Ganondorf was going to make it quick and painless by the look of things. However, he reiterated something in his head that he said earlier: no one influences his decisions; meaning neither Mario or Ansem had to have in an involvement in it. He was not doing it to accept the darkness, but rather, doing it to save his skin.

Riku closed his eyes and concentrated all of his energy. He could feel his entire body becoming engulfed by a warm blanket, yet his body was stinging because of it. It was like he was struggling against a rough currant, in hopes of getting to something he desired. He continued digging deeper and deeper into his body until he felt something snap. Suddenly, the blanket overtook him and covered his body completely. Riku opened his eyes and shouted from the overbearing power. He then pushed himself into the sky, and Ganondorf released his grip in response. He then did a huge back flip which was proceeded by a flash. After the flash dimmed, he landed on the ground, now wearing his dark attire. Ganondorf was speechless yet delighted to see Riku unlocking his dark powers.

After a brief pause, Ganondorf spoke up, "Well, well. Looks like you relied on the dark powers after all."

"I'm not doing it out of love for the darkness," Riku said assertively. "I'm doing it to defeat you, and be one step closer to seeing my friends again."

"Ha!" Ganondorf spat out. "We'll see!"

Riku ran forward, now fully rejuvenated. His speed had increased dramatically from calling on the dark powers. In fact, there were faded images of the boy trailing behind him. Ganondorf spun his blade around his hand as he prepared for round two. Riku began by leaping into the air and giving an over the shoulder slash. Ganondorf blocked, but Riku was so fast that he slash the king's stomach seconds later. Ganondorf hissed from the pain. Riku was not playing around anymore! The two once again clashed with each other, and then both jumped back. Riku and Ganondorf ran at each other again, and got into a fully blown sword fight. Their blades swung back and forth against each other. Ganondorf swatted left, Riku dodged. Riku swung horizontally, Ganondorf moved his chest back.

Riku brought his blade diagonally down while Ganondorf brought his diagonally up, resulting in them to clash and go by each other. Ganondorf turned around and brought the blade down again, but Riku brought his sword in from the side to block it. Riku then leaped back and ran at him yet again. An energy ball of pure darkness appeared in his hand. Taking notice of this, Ganondorf called upon his own energy based attack. They both released their attacks simultaneously, resulting in both colliding with each other and exploding. The two leaped to the left and did the same thing; another explosion occurred.

Ganondorf shot another one and Riku jerked his head left, and countered with his own. Ganondorf ducked underneath the ball and shot another one. This time Riku did a split as he jumped up to avoid it; he then followed up with another energy ball. The man of evil put his cape up to block the next one. After the attack hit, he uncovered himself to see Riku swing the blade at him like a bat. Ganondorf brought his sword upward to knock Riku's blade up, and succeeded. He then tried to thrust Riku right in the stomach, but he dove under Ganondorf's legs. As he came out of the other side, he curved his toes outward so that they were touching Ganondorf's calves. He then twisted his legs, which promptly caused Ganondorf to trip and spin to the ground.

Riku hurried away from Ganondorf, and ran over to a wall. He leaped onto the wall and shot another energy ball at Ganondorf. Subsequently, he kicked off the wall, and flew right at Ganondorf with a flying kick. The king noticed the energy attack and deflected it, but, soon after, received a kick to the face from Riku. While in that position, Riku took his free leg and kicked Ganondorf in the chest, knocking him back a few feet. The man of evil was started to lose his patients; he was not going to let some peon walk all over him.

Riku landed on the ground and performed a sonic slash attack. This involved Riku dashing forward at an incredible rate. Ganondorf tried to attack, but Riku was too fast; he instantly missed. Riku dashed the other, hitting Ganondorf right in the hip this time. Ganondorf howled from the sharp pain. Riku continued this strategy a few more times, slashing Ganondorf in the sides. The king could not blink without feeling a sharp pain slide through his skin like a knife. As Riku did it once more, Ganondorf shifted his entire body left, and grabbed Riku by the back of the shirt collar as he went by. He then threw him into the sky, and pursued him.

While in the air, he grabbed onto the ladder, and looked down to see Ganondorf, now on the verge of anger, flying right at him. Riku waited until Ganondorf was about to swing, and then he did a back flip over the attack. When he started to decent, he slashed Ganondorf across the back. His instant reaction to this was to let go of the ladder. Both of them plunged straight towards the ground. Riku took this chance to slash Ganondorf in the back again – and again and again. He was not letting up. Riku reached the ground first and did one complete twirl, which knocked the king aside. The boy ran at Ganondorf again, who by this point was growing weary. He tried to slash at Riku again, but Riku ducked underneath it and rammed his head into the man's chest.

He then delivered an uppercut slash to the man, knocking him right into the sky. Riku flew after him and elbowed him into ladders. The elbow was so powerful that once he hit the wall, the force caused him to bounce back. Riku slashed him right across the chest again, and knocked him against the wall. Ganondorf was practically worn out from taking so much damage. With what little strength he had left, he flew into the air – just in time, too, because another energy ball came right at him. As Ganondorf was close to the top, Riku lifted his sword way up high. His body started a dark blue color. Suddenly, a spinning blue vortex appeared right next to him, and he flew into it. Seconds later, a portal appeared right in front of the king, who looked on in bewilderment. Riku came out of it at astonishing speeds and slashed Ganondorf again. He then disappeared into another portal; but soon after, he appeared again and did the same thing.

Riku continued this pattern ten times; each time Ganondorf screamed hysterically from Riku's powerful slashes. It was like he was being tortured for all the sins he committed upon Hyrule. After the tenth time, Riku appeared above Ganondorf and flew right into him, stabbing the Souleater right through his stomach.

The two fell to the ground. Blue energy surrounded the duo from the magnitude of the attack. When they hit the ground, a powerful light flashed from the force. The battle was over...

--

Riku stood back up and removed the sword from Ganondorf's stomach. The king of evil lied there, seemingly paralyzed by Riku's battering. However, he was not dead. The king was wheezing heavily, so he still lived. Riku could not help but feel he overdid it a bit; with the dark powers, he seemed a bit more violent. Did the darkness still have some influence on his mind? Either way, what's done was done. He could not change that.

Riku looked down at himself to see he was wearing his normal clothing again. He hoped that was the last time he would need the dark powers. A cloud of guilt hovered over his heart; he said he would not rely on the darkness yet used it anyway. But, it was for a different cause. Ganondorf slowly brought his head and weakly opened one eye.

"Ugh..." he moaned weakly. "How...how could I...the mighty king Ganondorf...be...be..beaten by a child?"

A portal of darkness materialized and wrapped itself around the now innocuous king. Riku could only watch as it started to pull him into.

"Good-bye, Ganondorf." Riku said, showing somewhat pity on him

Of course, it was just somewhat. Riku could never forgive him for all the immoral acts he caused. As his body was almost completely engulfed, he looked at Riku one last time.

"Riku, know your place." Ganondorf said breathlessly.

"I know my place," Riku replied. "And it's not with you."

Ganondorf vanished into the eternal abyss, never to be seen again – well at least in the memory world. Riku remembered he was only but a memory: something that lives for all eternity in his head. Even if he did defeat this ghost from his memories, it would still stay with him forever. Now was not to time to think about it, though. His journey was just beginning, as well as Sora's.

Riku meandered through the area, looking for a way to get out. The way out soon came to him in the form of a portal. He peered inside to see the innards of Castle Oblivion, and after taking one last look at the forsaken castle, he took his leave.

--

Riku arrived back at the castle, alone and saddened. He was hoping to see Mario again, since he was the only one who could be trusted – or could he? Riku did not know who to trust at this point. It seems he was on his own, and things were looking grim. Despite it, the drive to see Sora and Kairi again kept him going. They were the throttle that kept his engine moving. He closed his eyes and pictured himself with them, laughing and playing on the islands. That image alone brought a smile to his face. Clinching his fists with determination, he made his way to the next world.

As he left, a figure hidden in the shadows emerged. It was Zexion! The emotionless figure came downstairs to locate the source of the scent he was following. He looked ahead to see Riku walking up the stairs. While a deadpanned expression was written on his face, deep down he was surprised by this unexpected guest.

"Is that...Riku?" Zexion whispered in bafflement.

Zexion had been informed about who Riku was, and what role he played in this whole conflict of light and darkness.

"Why is he here?" Zexion continued. "I thought he could not escape the realm of darkness. It makes no sense."

After thinking it over, he decided (and much to his displeasure) to consult Vexen and Lexaeus over this. Riku, at this point, could either be a threat or a blessing to them. A dark portal appeared behind the deep thinker, and he took his leave to inform the others of this alarming development.

A/N: Originally, Kongo Bongo was going to appear in this chapter, but after thinking it over, I felt it should be suitable in a later chapter. I should also mention that most Riku chapters will not be like this. I only did it so you get the basic gist of how Riku goes through each world. Since only Riku and the Nintendo villains are the only things I can work with in each world, fleshing out a story is near to impossible; not to mention battle sequences can get be a bit pointless. But there will still be dialogue between them. I hope you enjoyed the chapter all the same. One more thing for those who don't know: I am planning to update one new chapter every two weeks. I wanna get to KH2:TNV badly! And I feel this might help. So look forward to the next chapter (which is Pokemon) in about two weeks.


	12. 2B a Master Part I

A/N: Okay. How do I explain myself here? Well, as many of you know, a couple of months ago I mentioned that I was throwing in the towel with fanfiction. However, I guess you can say I had a change of heart. The whole 2 weeks thing really got to me, and I went crazy over it. When you're under pressure, you don't think right, and I realized that I had no satisfaction over it. I feel as though this is something I need to complete, even though I'm not into fanfiction that much anymore. So why I am I still writing this if I lost interest? It's because I want to complete it. I guess I have a drive to see that these stories have a proper closing. I'd also be letting a lot of people down, and I don't want to upset anyone. So I apologize to everyone for being so rash. I should have thought this out better. I am alive and will continue to write this story. My schedule isn't as busy as before, so I should have more time to work on the chapters. So enough of this Author's Note Essay; let's move onto the next chapter.

**Chapter IX: 2B a Master **

"Oh, isn't this just dandy?" Luigi said with sarcasm. "This pale room always brings a smile to my face."

Returning from their venture through Kongo Bongo, Sora and the others stood before the insipid hallways of Castle Oblivion. Luigi was already ahead of the group, walking towards the door at the end of the corridor, with his hands firmly placed in his pockets. Already they have been in three worlds and they still do not have the slightest inkling as to the whereabouts of Mario and Riku. (The latter being in the basement of the castle, concurrently)

"Three worlds and no sign of my brother," Luigi grumbled. "It's like these guys want us to go to the top."

"Well, no one said it was going to be easy, Luigi," Sora pointed out. "They could be anywhere in this castle. We just have to keep looking."

"Indeed," Toadsworth agreed with a nod. "Complaining about it won't help expedite our search."

Luigi turned back to the group, convinced by their words. Just complaining about it would not help them in their quest, and who knows what could happen to Riku and Mario if they just stood around, moaning over their predicament.

"Yeah, you're right," Luigi nodded with a smile. "Let's-a-get moving, then. The faster we get to the next world, the better chance we have to not encounter one of those Grim Reaper impersonators again."

Sora chuckled at Luigi; it was good to see he was still the same old petrified plumber he walked into the castle with. However, in his mind, he could not shake off the words Axel spoke of earlier.

"_When your sleeping memories awake, you may no longer be you." _the voice of Axel whispered in his head.

While he was not too worried over it, he could not help but wonder if Axel was bluffing, or if what he said was legitimate. Frankly, he did not want he nor his friends to change. The promise he made to Kairi about never changing still sat on the top of his mind – and his heart; but he had to shrug it off. They had to remain focused on the task ahead.

"Let's keep moving, guys." Sora announced energetically.

Sora, Luigi and Toadsworth walked towards the end of the door with a new weight of assurance resting on their shoulders. As they arrived at the door, all three of them felt like something was missing. Luigi turned around to see Yoshi standing in the middle of the room, contemplating to himself. Luigi prodded both Sora and Toadsworth's shoulders and told them to divert their attention towards Yoshi. They glared at him for a second before Luigi spoke up.

"Hey, Yoshi," Luigi said with a concerned look on his face. "Something on your mind?"

Yoshi heard Luigi's voice, which snapped him out of his train of thought. He looked up at the trio with a quizzical expression on his face.

"Yeah, it the castle Yoshi was thinking about earlier," Yoshi explained. "Me a hundred percent...no...a thousand percent sure me no make it up! Yoshi may not know the name but Yoshi remember what happened there. It place where Sora used bad keyblade to free Kairi's heart, remember? And then after, Sora go bye-bye for a little while."

Yoshi could picture it vividly in his head.

---

_Sora thrust the blade right into his chest, sacrificing his own life to save Kairi. He slowly drifted towards the ground, unable to feel his body, and hardly able to breath. The boy smiled lightly as if the whole ordeal was nothing. Yoshi tried to save him, but could only watch in horror as his big brother figure was snatched away from him by life's unfairness. _

---

Just seeing that image made Yoshi feel despondent.

"Oh; Yoshi could never forget how worried he was about Sora." the dinosaur lightly whimpered.

Sora snapped his finger, as he was able to recall the event in his head.

"Oh, yeah!" Sora exclaimed. "He's right! That's when I turned into a heartless, and Kairi was able to turn me back!"

"Without any logical explanation as to why," Luigi added. "You know, like that plot device in movies and books." He snapped his fingers to try and remember the name, "What's it called?"

"Deus ex Machina, Master Luigi?" Toadsworth said.

"Yeah, that's it!" Luigi nodded to confirm.

Sora narrowed his eyes at Luigi, "Hey, there was a reason....I just can't remember it right now."

Sora veered his head back to Yoshi. As he did, a question crossed his mind.

"Wait a minute," Sora said in perplexity. "That happened in.....a castle?"

Luigi snorted at him, "Ha! You forgot? Well, I remember perfectly like the inside of my glove."

Sora turned back to Luigi, glowering at him for that comment.

"Okay, Mr. Know-it-all," Sora sneered at him. "If you're so confident in remembering, then, please, tell us what the castle was called."

"Easy as macaroni," Luigi chuckled smoothly. "It was...uh....okay, so I don't remember."

Everyone else slumped their shoulders for Luigi's false accusation of knowing the castle's name.

"Hey, at least I tried!" Luigi boomed out in anger.

Soon enough, everyone was coming up with names – if not, names that sounded similar to the castle.

"Holler, halla, hella..." Sora said, indiscriminately calling out names.

"Howda, hooda, hallo," Luigi said, doing exactly what Sora was doing.

"Halleluiah!" Yoshi simply cried out.

Luigi and Sora turned to their friend with hopeful looks in their eyes.

"Yoshi, you figured out the name?" Sora asked excitedly.

"No. Yoshi thought it was called halleluiah." Yoshi replied.

Everyone else moaned for Yoshi's ludicrous conjecture. Finally, Luigi intervened to put a stop to this fruitless guessing game.

"Hold up!" Luigi interjected. "We're getting nowhere fast here! There's got to be an easier way to remember—"

Suddenly, an idea hit his brain like a sledge hammer hitting a stake.

"Oh! I know!" Luigi cried out. He turned to Toadsworth. "Hey, Toadsworth. You wrote down everything that happened in the journal, right?"

Toadsworth nodded, "Every letter! I finished off the first volume prior to our arrival here." He started to realize what Luigi was implying, "Ah. A sublime idea, Master Luigi. Perhaps the answer to our troubles lies within the journal. Let me see where I put that old book..."

Toadsworth went through his pockets until he pulled out his journal. He rested it on his right wrist, and used his left hand to open it. He adjusted his reading glasses so he could see clearly.

"Now then," Toadsworth said as he started to stroke through the pages. "Let's see if we can identify this ambiguous castle..."

Toadsworth's face froze up upon looking through the pages. Furthermore, with each page he skimmed through, his face turned from concerned to distraught to panic. As he continued, he was rapidly flipping through them. What Toadsworth was witnessing made him feel crushed; it made him feel like his entire world imploded, dissolving into dust. At first he tried to deny it, but he could not escape the cold, harsh truth. Sora started to notice Toadsworth's rather anxious behavior.

"Hey, is everything alright, pal?" Sora asked gently.

"No....." Toadsworth said in a trembling voice. "Th-this isn't possible!"

"What, what is it?" Luigi asked curiously yet somewhat worried.

Toadsworth looked up at his friends, too stunned to even form words; however, he had to inform them of this shocking revelation.

"All of the entries..." Toadsworth whispered in terror. "They've vanished. Every page, blank."

Sora, Luigi and Yoshi looked at each other upon hearing what Toadsworth said. They were, at first, in disbelief. How could something that took practically weeks to write down simply vanish in a matter of seconds?

Luigi just scoffed, "Toadsworth, are you trying to be funny? 'Cause this isn't a laughing matter."

Toadsworth feebly turned the book around to show the others. What they saw made their minds go numb – the pages were in fact blank. Sora asked if he could see the book, and Toadsworth handed it over. Sora looked through the book meticulously, only to gasp upon realizing Toadsworth was not kidding.

"Whoa!" Sora exclaimed. "These pages ARE blank!"

"WHAT!?" Luigi cried out in terror. "That's i-impossible! Everything!?"

Sora nodded grimly. Luigi became flustered. It was bad enough they could not recollect past endeavors, but now they could not write it down on a piece of paper? Toadsworth raised his cane into the air, irascible because of this. All of his work...gone!

"YOU!!!!" he shouted out at the top of his lungs. "YOU DID THIS!! HOW COULD YOU BE SO RUDE TO AN OLD MAN WHO VIGIROUSLY WORKED HIS TAIL OFF!? I'LL FIND YOU AND KILL ALL OF YOU!!"

Luigi quickly ran over to restrain the royal steward from doing anything drastic.

"Toadsworth!" Luigi cried, trying to compose the old man. "Take it easy! Think about your blood pressure!"

"LET IT BOIL ALL THE WAY ONTO THE HARD, COLD FLOOR!!" Toadsworth bellowed. "THEY'LL PAY FOR RUINING HOURS OF HARD WORK!!"

"Listen, you're starting to act like what's-his-face from that jungle," Luigi pointed out.

This became even more ostensible when Toadsworth's cane managed to connect with Luigi's head in one swift motion. Unfortunately, the plumber could not clutch his head from the pain because he was holding Toadsworth.

Instead, he replied with a groan, "See my point?"

Meanwhile, Yoshi's heart rose significantly with fear. He was becoming distressed over the entire situation. What if something worse was to follow? Now on the verge of panicking, he ran over to Sora and hugged his leg.

"SORA!" Yoshi cried fearfully. "Yoshi frightened!!"

Sora looked down at his friend and gently stroked his head in hopes of comforting him.

"Hey, it's okay, little buddy," Sora said with a consoling tone in his voice. Yoshi looked up at him misty eyed. "We'll get to the bottom of this."

However, there was one thing on the boy's mind at the moment.

"_Man, what kind of castle is this?" _ Sora thought to himself.

--

After a few minutes of getting Toadsworth under control, Sora approached the door and held out the dark card. Luigi and Yoshi stayed behind with their fungi friend to make sure he was okay. The royal steward was taking slow deep breaths, and both Luigi and Yoshi were on each side of him.

"Toadsworth, are you sure you'll be fine?" Luigi asked him.

"Oh, don't worry about me, Master Luigi," Toadsworth said optimistically. His tone sounded a bit too cheerful. "After all, I've worked on the journal for, how long....a few weeks? I'm sure with time the wounds will mend. For now, let's press on."

Luigi was a little skeptical due to Toadsworth's sudden cheerfulness.

"Um, okay?" Luigi replied, a bit weary.

The three started to walk towards Sora. As they did, Toadsworth slightly glanced at Luigi.

"Master Luigi?" Toasworth spoke up nonchalantly.

Luigi turned to Toadsworth, "Yes?"

Instantly, Luigi was greeted by an angry old man who grabbed him by the shirt collar.

"HOW!?" Toadsworth shouted as he shook Luigi like a rag doll. "How did this happen!? I take such good care of my journals! All that hard work, gone! They'll pay! They'll pay!"

"W-well, yo-you're not going to make them pay by shaking me like a rag doll!" Luigi cried; his voice was vibrating from Toadsworth's abrupt shakes.

Sora overheard the nervous disorder taking place in the middle of the room, and ran back to help Luigi and Yoshi get Toadsworth under control.

---

In the upper level of the castle, a girl wearing a white dress sat all alone in a room similar to that of the rest of the rooms in the castle. She had blond hair that went down to the back of her neck. She sat silently in her chair, with her blue eyes focused on what rested on her lap. It was a sketch pad used for drawing pictures; with a pencil in her right hand, she stroked the tip across the paper, converting her thoughts into imagery. It was something she loved to do, and she hoped it would take her mind off things.

What was wrong with her? It was hard to say; but a look of sorrow could be seen on her face. At times, she wished she could truly express her sadness, but alas, that wish was nothing more than shattered glass being scattered throughout a huge room.

As she continued writing, she could hear the clouds starting to cry out the tears of raindrops.

---

Sora managed to get Luigi free from Toadsworth's clutches before the royal steward did anything drastic. They all decided to head to the next room while simultaneously comforting and keeping an eye on Toadsworth. As they entered the door, Toadsworth appeared to be calming down, though he was not, by any means, thrilled with this unexpected turn of events.

After they arrived in the next room – which was not any different from the other rooms – Sora turned to Toadsworth, still a bit concerned about his mood. He was hoping the royal steward would not go off like a volcano again.

"Are you sure you'll be okay, Toadsworth?" Sora asked.

Toadsworth sighed in dismay, "Yes, Master Sora, I should be okay. But what am I going to do? I worked hard on those journals."

"We know you did," Sora said while sympathetically patting his friend's shoulder. "But it's like what you said before: if you keep stressing over something, it'll only delay our chances in finding our friends."

"And every second count." Yoshi concurred with a nod.

Toadsworth could not agree more; he never went against his own words. He had to worry about the here and now. Down the road they could deal with this journal issue.

"Well, I'll take your word for it, Master Sora." Toadsworth said, cracking a small smile.

Luigi walked up to Sora, "Hey, if we can diverge from this Full House moment for a second, how DID everything Toadsworth write down vanish at the drop of a hat? Unless somebody had a lot of time on their hands to white out every single page...."

"Maybe it's not just stuff we write down," Sora said, coming up with a theory. "Remember that castle Yoshi mentioned? How he said we've been there before? Well, I don't remember it....none of us do, actually."

"Wait, what are you getting at?" Luigi inquired.

"I'm saying that maybe...maybe we don't remember because those memories are gone." Sora concluded.

Luigi scoffed, "Gone? Don't be ridiculous!"

"Wait a minute!" Toadsworth exclaimed. "Remember what that gentlemen in the black hood said? 'In this castle to lose is to find and to find is to lose!' Of course! He was referring to our memories!"

It was true; they really were losing their memories. With every step they took, their memories slowly slipped away like sand passing through an hour glass, and the worst part was they had no way of stopping it.

"So if we keep going....we'll lose our memories," Sora gasped in realization. He put his hands behind his head, baffled, "Geeze, no wonder this place is called Castle Oblivion."

"And I'm guessing the higher we go, the more we forget," Luigi added. A worried expression appeared on his face, "What if we forget everything and can't get it back?"

A horrible thought crossed Sora's mind. Just as he originally thought, he would forget about everything, including his friends. Sure, the people he met on his journey would not affect him too much (he didn't get too much of a chance to know them), but the thought of forgetting the two most important people in the world to him – it was killing him on the inside, and he did not want to break the promises he made to them.

He lowered his head sadly, "I'd forget Riku and Kairi, too."

Luigi started to anxiously walk backwards towards the door.

"See, I knew it! I told we should've gone back!" Luigi cried out in fear. He started rambling, "But, what if you guys forgot about what I said? Then again, what if I forgot that I told you that..."

Finally, Yoshi spoke up, "Hey, no worry!"

Sora and the others looked at Yoshi, who was smiling optimistically.

"We might forget where we've been or what we saw, but we no forget friends." Yoshi declared happily.

Sora, Toadsworth and Luigi looked at each other in surprise. What would give Yoshi that idea?

"What makes you so sure?" Luigi questioned the dinosaur's speculation.

Yoshi walked over to Sora and looked up at him. Yoshi knew that the key bearer had suffered memory lost before, so he would serve as an example.

"Sora, remember when you heartless?" Yoshi asked him. "Did Sora ever forget Yoshi, Luigi and Toadsworth?"

Sora instantly knew how to answer that question. When he was a heartless, a blanket of darkness covering his mind clouded out most of his memories, from where he lived to his own personal information. However, no matter how much darkness bombarded his mind, the memory of his friends managed to penetrate the darkness and stay with him throughout the whole ordeal.

Sora looked down at Yoshi with a serious glare in his eyes.

"Of course not," Sora replied. "I could never forget you!"

Yoshi nodded, "Well, see, there ya go! No matter what happens, we no forget friends. Friends apart of lives; they too important to forget."

Sora sighed in relief upon hearing that. Yoshi was right. No matter what happened, the people he cared for would never leave; being a heartless taught him that. Even Luigi and Toadsworth started to become filled with hope. Sora bent down to Yoshi and pat his head.

"Yeah...you're right," Sora smiled warmly. "Thanks, Yoshi."

"Aw, anytime." Yoshi blushed.

Luigi, now feeling confident in this journey, started to walk ahead of everyone. He then stopped and turned back to his friends with a twinkle in his eyes.

"I can't believe I'm actually saying this but, for once, there's nothing to be scared of," Luigi said with enthusiasm. "As long we remember each other, it'll all work out. So let's go!"

Luigi then walked merrily towards the stairs, pumping both fists as he walked. As the plumber walked away, Sora whimsically placed his hands behind his head and grinned at the plumber.

"By the way," Sora grinned waggishly. "Back when I was a heartless, who was the one who tried to clobber me?"

The plumber froze upon hearing that. Back when Sora was a heartless, Luigi was the only one of the group who tried to attack him. However, Sora was able to dodge all of Luigi's attacks. This was not only embarrassing to Luigi because he was the only one who inadvertently attacked his friend, but he could not even lay a finger on one measly little heartless.

With a lowered brow, Luigi turned his head around, slightly glowering at the boy.

"Okay," Luigi said, slightly angered. "Out of every memory you could've possibly forgot about, why did you have to remember THAT one!?"

Soon enough, an echo of laughter filled the room, courtesy of Sora, Toadsworth and Yoshi. Luigi, meanwhile, shouted at them in his Italian language, but suddenly he joined in the laughter. It was too silly not to laugh at.

After the laughter died down, Yoshi let out a huge smile.

"Well, if we still remembering silly things, then Yoshi think we A-okay." the dinosaur giggled.

"I guess so," Luigi concurred. "Like I can remember the time I changed Sora's outfit into a Little Bo Peep costume."

Sora glared at Luigi in surprise. He had almost forgotten about that time. The boy placed his hands on his hips

"Well, I was trying to forget about that memory until you brought it up," Sora said with a slight frown.

Luigi, Toadsworth and Yoshi responded to this in the form of laughter. Seconds later, Sora, who was able to take a joke, joined in laughing. They were having such a wonderful time; and they hoped that no matter what happened, the sound of merriment would continue to appease their ears for the rest of the journey.

---

Now infused with the feeling of joy, the group continued their adventure. Arriving at the next door, Sora took out the four remaining cards in his possession. He scanned them over; he looked to see which one would be interesting to visit next. His eyes became fixed on a card that showed a picture of large, yellow colored building in the shape of a dome. The words, "Pokemon Coliseum" were embedded on the front of the building.

"Hey, guys," Sora spoke up. "Let's try this Pokemon Coliseum next."

Yoshi was confused by the first word in the name of the title.

"Poke...mon?" Yoshi rubbed his head in confusion. "What a Pokemon?"

Toadsworth turned to Yoshi with a fake looking smile, "Well, according to those hooded men, we've been there before, right? Then I'm sure a certain little book could tell us. Y'know,"

He looked up at the sky, almost if like he was focusing his attention on the residents of the castle.

"A book where we write down important information that will need in the future?" Toadsworth said, his voice starting to rise. "A book that took a month to write out?" He was now on the verge of yelling, "A BOOK THAT SHOULD NEVER BE TOUCHED!?"

Luigi frantically turned to Sora upon seeing the royal steward ready to take off like an airplane in flames.

"Quick, Sora!" Luigi exclaimed. "Just choose this world, and open the door!"

Sora nodded and held the card up to the door. Much like before, upon coming in contact with the door, a bright flash ensued. The door slowly opened all the way moments later. As the door came to a halt, Sora eagerly ran into the white light behind it. Luigi and Yoshi proceeded through it seconds later, after grabbing a hold of Toadsworth; the whole way through, though, he was still ranting and raving.

When they went through the light, the door behind them closed.

---

**World Name: Pokemon Coliseum **

Cheers. Screams. Howls. Whistles.

The sound of exhilaration filled the blue afternoon skies; that is what Sora and friends heard as they exited the portal from Castle Oblivion. As everyone exited, they took a moment to get acquainted with their new surroundings; they noticed they were standing in front of huge metal gates. The gate on the right was opened all the way.

The gates were in between two yellow brick walls, obviously used to keep people out when it was closed. Sora looked ahead of the gates to see the same dome building he saw on the card. It was not too far from the gates, but it looked like they had to walk a little bit.

As they started walking towards the gate, their nostrils were greeted by the succulent smell of ground beef being cooked on a grill. Their tongues (especially Yoshi's) started to salivate as the smell went deeper in. It looked like food you would find at any other stadium, such as hotdogs and hamburgers, was being prepared.

When they were closer to the gate, Luigi noticed a flyer on the right wall, so he decided to go and investigate it. Meanwhile, the others stopped right in front of the gate, with their ears getting bombarded by the sound of distant cheers.

"Huh. I wonder what's getting the crowd fired up." Sora said, curious to know what was going on.

"Some sort of event?" Yoshi wondered.

"Well, whatever is, I'd like to get in on it," Sora grinned excitedly. He placed his hands behind his head, "Bet it's something awesome."

"Hey, guys, come check this out!" Luigi called to his friends.

Everyone veered their heads over to Luigi, who was reading the flyer.

"What is it, Luigi?" Sora asked curiously.

"An advertisement for an event at the coliseum." Luigi replied.

The others ran over to join the plumber, and they all read the flyer. Toadsworth's eyes lit up, intrigued by what he read.

"Well, I'll be," Toadsworth said. "It's for a contest of sorts; and how convenient, it's today. They're calling it the 'Pokemon Coliseum Survival Cup.' Contenders have to run an obstacle course, battling each other along the way."

"And get this," Sora added as he read a section. "It's open to everyone, including Pokemon trainers and their Pokemon."

Luigi gasped in surprise and placed his hands on his cheeks.

"Really?" Luigi said, supposedly awestricken "That's amazing! Incredible! Stupendous! It's even mediocre! But I have one question?"

"What's that?" Yoshi asked curiously.

"What's a Pokemon?" Luigi replied in a slightly exasperated tone.

Sora rested his chin between his right index finger and thumb, contemplating as to what this Pokemon was. At this point, he was starting to become irked over figuring out the identity of the strange name. However, a good plausibility started to crawl its way into his brain.

While this was going on, however, someone, or something, was lurking behind a tree. It stuck its head out from behind, feasting its eyes on Sora's group. It slowly came out from behind and started to sneak its way over, step by step, inch by inch. Closer and closer it went, taking small steps, and making sure it was as quiet as a lamb. Its muscles stiffened with excitement and nervousness as it was not more than a few feet away.

Sora spoke up, "I'm guessing, based on the fact that Pokemon have trainers, that they're animals of sorts? Maybe they're used to battle each other?"

"Either that or they're a part of some nerdy franchise that's been milked to death," Luigi speculated. He soon noticed everyone looking at him strangely, "Well it could be."

Sora shook his head, "Look, that doesn't matter right now.

He then put his left palm on his right knuckles, obviously cracking them as a popping noise soon followed. Regardless of what these Pokemon were, he was yearning to get in on the contest.

"I think this contest sounds fun." Sora said with his famous grin. "Why don't we enter, too?"

Yoshi just chuckled at what the key bearer said. Typical Sora.

"Yoshi not surprised you say that," Yoshi said with a smile. "Whenever there contest, you can count on Sora to be the first one to sign up."

Luigi lowered his brow, a little disappointed, "And I guess you're competing even if we don't, right?"

"Uh-huh." Sora nodded.

Luigi sighed, "Guess we better tag along, then. Let's go."

Sora, Luigi and Yoshi started to head towards the gate.

"Hold it, everyone." Toadsworth called out to them. "There's more on this flyer."

Toadsworth read over the part they did not read.

"In order to make it into the main competition, contenders must complete a physical challenge of strength and intellect." Toadsworth dictated.

Luigi slumped his shoulders. There had to be a catch.

"Physical challenge?" Luigi moaned. "Couldn't we just take a Double Dare instead?"

Sora turned to Luigi with an assuring grin, "Hey, don't worry about it. Just adds more to the fun. What's the challenge?"

As Toadsworth read the challenge, the mysterious entity that was lurking behind the group was now standing in front of Luigi. It looked up to see Luigi's trademark hat. Its eyes widened in fascination by the sight of the hat. It slowly put all of its weight down on its feet and leapt into the air, grabbing the hat in the process; all the while, Luigi was blissfully unaware that his hat was stolen.

Toadsworth had just finished reading what they need to do in the competition. Sora was more excited than ever.

"I've had enough of standing around here," the boy said, whose zeal for fighting in the competition grew. "Let's go! Let's go!"

"Alright, alright," Luigi chuckled as he tried to calm the boy down. "We're going! But I still wonder what a Pokemon is?"

Before Sora could reply, a male voice spoke up from out of nowhere.

"Psy-yi-yi." the voice said, almost sounding like it was in pain.

The four froze upon hearing that. They did not know who or what said that. Yoshi turned to Sora with a suspicious look.

"Sora, did you sneeze?" Yoshi asked his friend, curious.

Sora shook his head, "Nope."

Yoshi then veered his head towards Luigi and Toadsworth.

"Was it Luigi or Toadsworth who sneezed?"

Luigi (who was oblivious to the fact that his hat was missing) and Toadsworth both shook their heads in response. Before Yoshi could form another word, they heard the strange voice again.

"Psyduck!" the voice cried out.

The sound of the voice seemed to be coming from behind. The four turned around to see that there in fact was something behind them. What they saw caused their minds to become imbrued with astonishment and surprise. It was a small yellow duck-like creature, with oval shaped eyes and a round body. On the top of its oval shaped head was a small patch of black hair. The creature looked at the trio, all while holding both of its human-like hands on it head.

The creature titled its head curiously and spoke up, "Psy-yi-yi."

The four did not know what to make of this creature. It sure was different from any other creature they have seen.

Luigi raised an eyebrow, "Erm, what is that?"

"I dunno," Sora shrugged, uncertain himself. "If I were to guess, I'd say it's one of those Pokemon creatures."

Luigi was about to say something when he felt very strange. For some reason, he felt that a part of him was missing. Soon enough, he started to feel a draft coming from above. Placing his left hand on his head, he lightly felt the surface of his head.

"Hey!" Luigi cried out. "What the!? My hat! What happen to my hat!?"

Everyone else looked to see the now hat-less Luigi searching around the area for his missing hat.

Yoshi chuckled, "Oh, no wonder Luigi looked so different."

The panic-stricken plumber turned to his friends.

"Hey, do you guys see it anywhere?" Luigi said with a worried expression on his face. "I can't lose it! I've had that hat ever since I was a bambino! I've enjoyed countless ravioli dinners with it!"

"Calm down, Luigi," Sora said reassuringly. "It couldn't have gotten that far."

Luigi continued looking around until his eyes became locked on the strange duck creature. There, in its little hands was his hat. He watched as the duck placed his trademark hat on its head. It then hopped up and down in glee. Luigi felt his draw drop; how did that little runt grab it from me, Luigi thought. The duck suddenly did a strange maneuver; it stood up tall like a soldier and fell onto his stomach, while still remaining stiff as a rock. It quickly stood back up and did it again; only this time, he did it from the left side. Sora did not understand why the duck creature did that, but that thought soon faded into the background when he saw Luigi shout at the creature.

"Hey, you!" Luigi boomed out at the duck "Drop that hat, you thief!"

A feeling of apprehension overtook the body of the little duck, as it could sense Luigi growing irritable. The plumber wanted that hat back, but the duck did not want to give it to him. In the blink of an eye, the duck scurried for the coliseum entrance.

As it ran towards the gate, it cried out, "Psy-yi-yi-duck!"

Luigi quickly ran after it while waving his first.

"Come back here!" Luigi shouted out as he followed it through the gates. "Stop, in the name of pasta!"

Sora rolled his eyes and sighed at what Luigi said, "He has got to lay off the pasta puns."

"Never mind that, Sora," Yoshi said as he anxiously hopped up and down. "We help Luigi, yes?"

"Of course," Sora said with a bold tone in his voice. "Let's move guys!"

Sora, Toadsworth and Yoshi all hurried into the coliseum, hoping they would be able to catch up with their friend and compete in the games. As they ran through the gates, they were unaware that someone had just walked up to the entrance. The person looked around to see if nobody was present. Thankfully, he appeared to be alone. He was a man who wore an orange business suit; the shirt he wore was buttoned down. The man appeared to be in mid thirties, and he had short brown hair. He slowly approached the sign with one hand placed in his pocket. He glared at the sign with a smirk of malice and delight. It seemed this man did not have good intentions.

"It's just as I thought," the man smirked. "That old fool Professor Oak is really holding the competition today. Now, all I have to do is wait for my operative to return with the vital information needed to begin my plan."

The man looked at his watch, and tapped his foot impatiently.

"Where is he?" the man groaned in annoyance. He sighed, "I sometimes question why I asked him to be a part of this mission."

Suddenly, the man heard the sound of a male voice screaming in the distance. The direction of the scream came from above. The man looked up, only to see a tan cat like creature was about to fall on top of him.

It howled out, "Meowth!!" as it fell.

The man stepped to one side and let the cat fall onto the ground. It could feel the sudden jolt as it hit the surface, followed by a pain in its stomach. It moaned as it sat up and rubbed the area that hurt. The cat creature had large, round shaped eyes, and black ears. He had brown marks of fur; two were on his feet, and the other was at the edge of his curly tail. Medial to the cat's forehead was a gold coin that shined brightly from the sun's reflection. The cat continued rubbing his stomach from the soreness.

"Out of all da cats in da world, how come I'm da only one dat can't land on its feet?" the cat groaned, speaking with a Brooklyn accent.

"Meowth!" the man called out to the cat with authority in his voice.

Meowth scrambled to his feet and saluted the man.

"Yes, oh great boss of mine?" Meowth lauded the man.

"Spare me the flattery, Meowth," the man crossed his arms, and scowled at the cat. "And why didn't you just leave through the gate?"

Meowth pointed to the top of the wall.

"'Cause an Arcanine chased me up da wall," Meowth explained. "Sheesh, we Meowths get no respect—"

"Enough," the man interrupted, stifling the cat. "What do you have to report?"

The cat let out a huge smile, "Good news, boss. Da twerp and his Pikachu are in the competition."

The man responded to this news with a sinister smirk. He was glad to hear that he could finally put his plan into motion.

"Perfect," the man responded with a pleased tone in his voice. He then patted Meowth's head. "Good work, Meowth. Seems you aren't as useless as I thought you were."

Meowth started to blush, "Aw, well it was nothing boss. Just doing my...." He suddenly realized what he boss said, "Wait, what!?"

Ignoring Meowth's reaction, the man turned away, and started rambling to himself. The man apparently held a huge grudge against this "twerp" Meowth was referring too. He even clinched his right fist in anger.

"Finally, I will get rid of that meddling Ash Ketchum, and capture his Pikachu," the man said in a tone of anger. "That brat wants to be Pokemon Master, huh? Well, he certainly is a master – a master of getting on my very nerves! For far too long, he and that little rodent have always denied Team Rocket of fulfilling their one true goal, and that goal is to capture the most powerful Pokemon in order to take control of this world. Just hearing that little blood clot's voice makes me want to tear every hair from my head!"

The man took a second to compose himself before he continued.

"I must not lose my temper over this, "the man said, now in a relaxed tone. "I am the leader of Team Rocket; I must control my emotions, especially over a child and his mouse. Today I will finally one step closer to greatness, and I will finally get Ash out of my way."

Suddenly, the two heard a calm, male voice coming from the right of them.

"Which is why you hired me." the voice said.

The Team Rocket Leader, Giovanni, turned towards the direction of the voice. Approaching them was a tall, young man with blonde spiky hair. He wore unusual clothing; it consisted of a dark blue shirt and pants. Wrapped around his waist, there were many belts; some of them even wrapped around his thighs. He wore brown, fingerless gloves on both hands. Strangely, on the left hand, long yellow fingers stuck out instead of human ones that were on his right. On his left shoulder he had a metal plate covering the area.

He also wore a long, red cape that wrapped around at his chest area. Sticking out of his back was a huge, black wing. It looked like it belonged to a demon of darkness, ready to pounce out from the darkness of the shadows. In his left hand, he held a huge sword that was covered with bandages. Why? It was hard to say. In spite of the sword being so huge, he seemed to have no trouble in carrying it. The young man calmly approached the Team Rocket leader, with his blue eyes focused right on his face.

Giovanni nodded, "That's right. That is why you are my number one guy....Cloud."

Meowth tried is best to act brave around Cloud, but the man gave off a frightening vibe that would make the heart turn right into stone. Meowth felt his knees wobbling as he watched Cloud walk up to them.

"Now, let me reiterate what I said back at the base," Giovanni began to say. "Your job is to defeat Ash Ketchum in the games. After, you are to capture Pikachu and bring him to me. As for Ash......finish him off. Do that for me, and –"

"You restore my lost memories," Cloud said with a bit of hope in his voice. "As we agreed."

"You have my word," Giovanni promised the warrior. "I am no magician, but I have the scientific resources needed to recover your lost memories."

Cloud nodded in compliance. However, there was one thing on his mind that he needed an answer for.

"But why a little kid and his mouse?" Cloud asked. "It will hardly prove to be a challenge."

"Yes. I am aware that you are highly skilled in the art of combat," Giovanni said in acknowledgement. "But do not let your over confidence be your own downfall."

A small smirk of amusement escaped the warrior's lips.

"If you say so." Cloud said.

And with that said, he walked off towards the gates. As he did so, a look of confliction could be noticed in his eyes. It was almost like he was wondering if he was about to do the right thing.

Meowth walked ahead of his boss and watched Cloud leave.

"Dat is one guy you would not want to sit next to on a bus," Meowth stated. "And I'm not saying dat because of da sword."

"Indeed," Giovanni concurred. "But, at this point I feel he's the only one who can get the job done. You and your two partners have failed time after time again to capture Pikachu."

"Speaking of partners, where are those two feather brains, anyway?" Meowth inquired. "The motto can be pretty underwhelming when it's just me saying, 'Meowth! Dat's right!'"

"I sent Jessie and James on a different assignment," Giovanni explained. "Besides, seeing as you are the only talking Pokemon, it will come in handy on this mission."

A look of excitement sparkled on Meowth's face. He waited so long to hear a compliment from his fearless leader.

"Really, boss?" Meowth asked with hope. "You mean dat?"

"Well, will see how well you follow through," Giovanni pointed out. "Here's the next part of your assignment, Meowth. You are to see that no one does battle with Ash. We need to make sure only Cloud faces him. I did see some other people enter as well. Do whatever it takes to keep them away."

"Yes, sir!" Meowth said with a salute. He then thought, _"Finally! A chance to prove to da boss dat I'm not worthless. If I pull dis off, then maybe I'll be top cat again. No more smart aleck Persian to keep da boss company. It'll just be Meowth, Meowth, Meowth." _

Giovanni, who noticed Meowth was not in reality anymore, snapped him out of it by clearing his throat.

"Meowth! Now is not the time for daydreaming!" Giovanni said loudly. "Get going!"

The cat almost jumped out of his fur from Giovanni's loud tone, and started walking towards the gates.

"Right away, boss." Meowth complied.

Giovanni waited for Meowth to leave, but noticed he was walking at a leisurely pace. The cat even placed his hands behind his neck.

"Do not linger, Meowth," Giovanni cried out. "Hurry!"

"Don't worry, boss," Meowth said with a mellow tone in his voice. "At the rate these chapters come out, I won't even be near the gates."

Fed up with Meowth for constantly fooling around, the Team Rocket leader shouted out in enragement, "I SAID, HURRY!!!!"

Meowth yelped in fear at the loud and intimidating scream of his boss, and hurried towards the gates at blinding speeds.

---

Sora and the others arrived on the outskirts of the coliseum. They were still in hot pursuit of Psyduck. Luigi felt very uncomfortable without his hat; he was not use to the wind flowing through his hair and touching his scalp. Around the area they saw benches, concession stands, bushes, and short, thin trees. This was probably the area where he people hung out before a match was announced. They looked around the area carefully, leaving no stone unturned. Yoshi saw the little duck head towards a door to the left. The door was yet another door from Castle Oblivion.

"There he goes!" Yoshi cried out.

Psyduck heard Yoshi's voice, and turned to see who it was. Upon seeing it was Sora's group, the Pokemon scurried for the door and opened it upon arrival. The four followed close behind. As they got to the door, Sora saw a sign next to the door. He looked at it, and a look of excitement crossed his face.

"Hey!" Sora said. "It says here that this door leads to the challenge. Come on! Let's go!"

"But what about my hat?" Luigi asked with a bit of a pout.

"I'm sure we'll run into Psyduck along the way," Sora said with an assuring nod. "Come on!"

Before Sora opened the door, though, he noticed a bright flash from the corner of his eyes. Looking down, he saw a Key of Beginnings card. He picked up and pocketed it, knowing it would be needed later. He opened the door, and the adventure began.

As he went through the door, Sora noticed he was inside a huge arena. The first thing he noticed about it was that the bleachers were empty. Not a single spectator was present; and that confused Sora, because did they not hear cheering a few minutes ago. Sora guessed it had to do with the trickery of Castle Oblivion, and he was not going to make a big deal over it.

One thing was clear, though: this was not an ordinary stadium. It was distinct because the entire surface was covered with ice ice. Sora even felt the cool breeze dance around his body. The boy huddled himself from the cold. In the center of the arena was a ring. Around the ring part was water, while the circle in the middle was a platform. Sora turned to see both Luigi and Yoshi were missing. They were once again mercy of the cards.

He looked back at the arena, and looking at the other side he saw a door. That was the challenge. They had to get to the other side.

"There's a door on the other side of this arena," Sora told Toadsworth. "We gotta get over there."

"But I may slip and fall." Toadsworth pointed out.

Sora smiled, "Then I'll give you a piggyback ride."

Sora then noticed Toadsworth's eyes widening in fear.

"Much obliged, Master Sora" Toadsworth stuttered nervously; it was not because of the cold. "After we take care of a small problem."

Sora turned to see two heartless soldiers and Powerwilds skating towards him. Acting on instinct alone, Sora called the keyblade to his right hand and slid onto the ice. Sora clenched the handle with both hands and swung the keyblade like a golf club, tripping the first soldier heatless he came across The second soldier leaped into the air and spun its entire body like a circular saw, as it flew right at the boy. While still skating down the sheet of ice, Sora turned his torso to the right, just narrowly missing the attack.

When he turned back, he saw the fourth one gliding right towards him. Sora saw an opening between its two legs, and swooped it up with the keyblade. He then used all of his strength and flipped it right into the air. Sora spun his body around while he was still gliding, and threw the keyblade right at the airborne heartless, cutting it in half in the process. He turned his body back to face the forward direction he was going in.

Ahead of him was the fourth Powerwild. It leaped into air, ready to pounce the boy. Sora slid his feet faster and stabbed the heartless right in the chest. At that moment, he reached the ring area. Sora leaped off of the edge and landed on the center platform. He then took the heartless that was impaled into the blade and slammed it right into the cold water. The heartless felt every inch of its body shiver to death. The cold was unbearable!

Sora let out a powerful freeze spell, which turned the creature right into ice. After, the boy took his foot and kicked off the frozen heartless. He watched as it gently floated into ambiguous void of darkness below. Sora turned his attention to the last heartless, by conjuring up a fire spell. The furious fireball got launched from the tip of the blade, and hit the surface. That caused the ice to melt, and it had a hole mark moments later. Sora shot another ice spell at the creature and froze it. The solid heartless then fell into the hole and floated to the ground; to its icy grave.

The boy grinned at the easy task. Maybe these games would be simple, he thought.

Or so he thought.

The boy saw three strangely shaped shadows in front of him. What's worse, he felt something breathing down his neck, which caused his spine to shake faster than a violin string being stroked. Sora turned around and saw three dragon-like creatures with blue skin, growling at him viciously. Secured on their left hands were arm cannons, and they were all aimed at Sora.

Without even thinking, Sora ducked down; he did so just in time, as white energy balls came out of the holes. He then leaped onto the ice, and skated as fast as he could. The creatures chased Sora around the arena. Sora pumped his arms as hard as he could; he needed to gain speed. Unfortunately, that was a difficult task since he was not wearing ice skates. There were moments where he felt himself slip, but he managed to regain balance. The heartless, referred to as Space Pirates, fired ice attacks at Sora. The boy leaned his body to his right to dodge; he then leaned left to dodge the other way. At one point he had to lift his right leg up to dodge a few of the attacks.

Soon he noticed that he was about to come in contact with a wall. He continued twisting and turning his torso to dodge the pirates. As he got closer to the wall, he bent his knees and pushed all the weight down on his feet; and when he was no more than a few feet away, he leaped for the edge of the wall. Concurrently, all three pirates fired ice at the boy, which missed him, and flew right into a wall, leaving small marks of white crystals on it. After firing the attacks, they flew into the air and hovered around the boy. Sora grabbed onto the top of the wall, and pulled himself up and onto the ledge. He turned around and leaped back onto the ice. The three pirates followed close behind him.

The pirate in the middle flew way ahead of Sora and swooped down towards the ground. He was going to try and intercept the boy. The two other heartless flew right towards Sora from either side. The keyblade master noticed one coming from the left. The moment he saw it, he jerked his head back to dodge an incoming punch from an arm cannon. Sora retaliated by swinging the keyblade upward, knocking the creature's arm into the air. This was followed by Sora delivering an elbow right in the abdomen; the creature howled in pain as it felt Sora's elbow pushed against its stomach at full force.

It flew back for a moment, giving itself a chance to ease the pain. Sora was not safe yet; the second one brought its arm-cannoned hand down on boy, who had to slightly move his body right to dodge. With an opened attack right in front of him, Sora swung the blade right across the stomach transversely, and the creature was cut right in half. It turned right into dust moments later.

Suddenly, the creature ahead of Sora rammed its head right into his chest, and pushed the boy until fell right into the water. Toadsworth gasped in shock; Master Sora could freeze to death, he thought. Soon enough, the heartless Sora elbowed joined its partner, and both dove right into the water.

Underneath the ice, Sora's body started to descend towards the bottom of the arena; however, he was able to get himself up, and using every ounce of strength in his arms and legs, he swam towards the surface. He could already feel his ears and nose fill up with water. Worst of all, he had to ensure the freezing torture that was the cold water. He was about to reach the top when both heartless came in and tackled him. They were all plummeting towards the bottom of the arena. The great weight and grip of both pirates was overpowering the key-bearer. Sora could hold his breath for a good while, but considering the unbreakable lock he was in, he did not have much time; and the spine shivering cold water made things even worse.

Mustering all of his strength, the boy brought both of hands behind his back (the keyblade was in his right hand) and tapped one of the cards on the keyblade's chain. In response, the card glowed and flashed. Right above the three, Ness appeared. The boy with psychic powers noticed his friend in distress, and he quickly came to the rescue. Ness opened his backpack and pulled out a wooden baseball back. The boy swam right at the two heartless and hit them right on the back. The heartless yelped in pain from hard blow to the back. Both released their grips from Sora, and the boy swam towards the surface with what little energy he had less. Ness swam down to the key bearer and helped him to the surface.

Moments later, Sora felt the atmosphere of the cool air as he popped his head out of the water. A loud gasp followed; he was so relieved to breathe air again. Ness helped the key bearer out of the water and onto the circle in the middle of the ring. Sora was still shivering from the cold water. He was vibrating faster than a washing machine; all the while, he took slow, deep breaths.

"Thanks...Ness," Sora painted tiredly. "Whoo...that....was a close one."

Ness patted his friend on the back, "No problem, Sora. Anytime."

But this celebration was short lived, as the two pirates came out of the water and hovered right above them. Ness and Sora looked up upon hearing the rough splashing noise that occurred. The two pirates aimed their arm cannons right at the physically drained Sora, and Ness. The young boy from Onett leaped in front of Sora in order to shield him from the attack. The creatures fired their attacks – and Ness put up his energy shield as a barricade. All the negative energy that got absorbed into the shield converted into positive energy, and transferred directly into Sora. The boy could feel his body rejuvenate; the coldness he was feeling even went away. Ness's healing power was able to cure all abnormalities that disrupted the normal functioning of Sora's body. Like a car engine's being turned on, Sora energetically kicked himself up. Sora combined three fire cards and unleashed a scorching flame that came in contact with the heartless on the right. The creature screamed in agony as it completely melted because of the unbearable heat.

Ness disposed of the other pirate by unleashing his PK fire. The creature tried to flee for its life, but the lightning bolt's speed destroyed any hopes of escape. It hit the creature, and soon enough, it too suffered the same fate as its comrade. Sora turned to Ness and gave him a high-five.

"Thanks again, Ness," Sora said, expressing his gratitude. "You rock."

Ness blushed for the compliment, "It's nothing. I'm just glad to help. If you need me, you know how to call me."

And with a nod of his head, Ness dematerialized into nothingness. He was once again mercy of the cards.

With the battle over, Sora hurried over to Toadsworth, who was utterly amazed by Sora's ability to ice skate.

"Well done, Master Sora," Toadsworth said, congratulating the boy. "But how are able to skate like that? The moves you executed were almost flawless; and you even did it without the aid of ice skates!"

A cheeky grin appeared on Sora's face, "Well, took years of practice. Every year when it was winter, Riku and I went to our island to go skating on the pond. Of course, we disobeyed our moms; we skated without skates." He chuckled, "I never thought it would come in handy, though."

"Indeed," Toadsworth said with a nod. "But let us press on, Master Sora."

"Yeah," Sora said. "That was pretty tough, but there's no way I'm backing down now! Besides, I still gotta get Luigi's hat back. If I don't, I won't hear the end of it from him."

Sora and Toadsworth headed towards the door on the other side. While Sora knew the challenges ahead were going to be cumbersome, his will to never give up was stronger than any force that stood in his way.

A/N: I'm cutting it off here because I'm trying to make the chapter lengths shorter; and I'd rather have a myriad of chapters as opposed to extremely long chapters. Again, I want to say how sorry I am for everything that has happened. The next chapter will be posted asap. I want to thank everyone who has read and enjoyed my stories for what their worth, regardless of all the complications that have occurred.

In fact, I want to take a moment to name a few: Ravenf6, Kenichi340, Cartoonfan4072, Staredcraft, Neros Urameshi, Darth Ben Valor, Dark Hououmon, JusSonic, TheNumber1Yoshi, the Shadow Syndicate, Courage09, Littlefoot1616, Sonicgodzillafan, Rock Raider, AquaflameElementalist, Darklightzero, Kingdom- Hearts-Nintendo, Gijinka Renamon, Dr. Dude, Essteka, Darth Necron, Dr. Pikachu

And the list goes on. This something I normally don't do in my stories, but I guess you can say this site has been a life changing experience. Some of you may laugh at my statement, but it's true. Through it I've met great people, I've learned a lot about writing, and I gained confidence in myself. So thank you to everyone, and I hope you've enjoyed my stories for what their worth. Look forward to the next chapter soon.


	13. Let the Games Begin

A/N: Hey, everyone. Finally updated! I have an important announcement to make that will hopefully be a turn for the better. I am planning to write out the entire story first and then post two chapters a week – one on Monday and one on Friday. I know it sounds like a lot – and yes, it will take time – but it will allow me to consistently update. You guys would know when to expect a new chapter instead of constantly wait for one. Let's face it: waiting sucks. lol However, before I begin this long process, I am going to finish off the Pokemon chapters. One reason being to show you guys that I'm committed to finishing this thing. So without further ado, enjoy the new chapter. Oh, and I have one more big announcement at the end of this chapter. I hope you'll take a look at the author's notes. Trust me; it will help you know the progress of the Nintendo Version.

As always, enjoy!

**Chapter X: ** **Let the Games Begin**

Sora faced the many trails that lied ahead for him on the course. At one point, he found himself fighting heartless in a canyon like arena. Sora used the rock formations to his advantage by hiding from his enemies. The foes he faced were the space pirate heartless, though they had red skin and were able to produce the chemical reaction that was fire. Throughout the battle, Sora could smell the fumes penetrate his nasal cavity.

It was a long and drawn out battle, but Sora was able to prevail – with the help of a certain green dinosaur. Sora called Yoshi out during the battle, and the two made quick work of the heartless. Yoshi ate the heartless and turned them into eggs. Sora would come in and slash each one in half. Other times, Yoshi would throw the eggs at other heartless, leaving them dazed and vulnerable. Finally, the two eliminated the remaining heartless. Yoshi returned to his isolated prison inside the cards. After, Sora retrieved Toadsworth from the bleachers, and the two continued on their journey.

The two arrived at another door that had the golden lining. Sora pulled out the card from his pocket, and held it up to face the door; it opened upon recognizing the card. The two walked through it, unsure of what to expect next. Sora assumed that the games would begin. He hoped so. He was already becoming fraught with excitement.

* * *

Sora and Toadsworth arrived in the hallway of the stadium. Luigi and Yoshi soon appeared next to the duo. The group walked down the hallway in search of the duck-like creature. Lugi was still just as irate as when his hat was first stolen.

"Wait until I get my hands on that duck," Luigi said in anger. "Nobody takes my personal property and gets away with it!"

"Don't you think you're overacting a little bit?" Sora pointed out. "It's just an innocent little…duck thing."

"It's my hat!" Luigi explained angrily. "Haven't I emphasized how much it means to me?"

"Yes, yes, numerous times, Master Luigi." Toadsworth said indifferently.

The group suddenly heard the duck's feeble sounding cry.

"Psy-yi-yi!"

"Do you hear that!" Luigi exclaimed in excitement. "It's not too far from here. Let's go!"

The group ran down the hallway, following the clumsy duck's voice. Moments later, they arrived at the entrance to one of the stadiums. To the right, they noticed a giant door that led right into the arena. To their left, they saw four turnstiles. Out of the right corner of Luigi's eye, the plumber saw the yellow duck hunched up in the corner. Luigi scurried over to the duck; as soon as he was within ten feet of it, he stopped, slowly and carefully approaching the creature.

"Okay, just hand over the hat like a good ducky," Luigi said gently. "Do so, and we won't run into a problem."

The duck held its head in trepidation. Luigi's compassionate ruse was not working. The duck could see pass the masquerade of kindness, and saw a man about ready to pummel the poor creature. Luigi got closer to the duck, who shivered in absolute fear. Simultaneously, all this nervousness was causing the duck to build up pressure in its head. It was like a balloon – any moment it could pop from excessive amount of pressure.

"C'mon," Luigi said. "Don't make things difficult."

Finally, the duck snapped –the pressure was released like a dam unable to hold water any longer. Its dumbfounded, blank expression turned into a look of hatred and malice. Luigi stopped dead in his tracks upon noticing this. Even the others, who walked over to Luigi, noticed this. The duck's eyes got covered by a mystical blue glow. The plumber slowly started to back away, confused, and petrified with fear.

"Wh-what's going on?" Luigi stammered nervously. "What are you doing? Stop staring at me like that. That's making me nervous."

Toadsworth was simply awestricken by this duck's power, "Fascinating. Could this be one of the many powers these Pokemon are capable of producing?"

"Maybe from where you're standing it's fascinating," Sora piped up. "But last I checked, evil glowing eyes is NEVER a good thing."

Sora turned to Luigi, "Luigi, I think it's time to hightail it out of there!"

"Good idea, kid," Luigi concurred frantically. He looked back at the duck with a nervous grin. "You know what? Keep the hat, pal. It was getting worn out anyway. Well…toodaloo!"

Luigi ran away as fast as he could, not once looking back. As he continued running, he started to feel like he was losing control of his voluntary muscles – and he was, too. The plumber came to a complete stop, confused and terrified. Luigi felt his entire body slowly float right into the sky. The others looked on with dropped jaws of bewilderment; they have clearly underestimated the little yellow duck. From the group's perspective, they saw a soft blue outline appear around Luigi.

"Put me down!" Luigi cried, panic-stricken. "I'm sorry! How was I supposed to know you had telekinesis powers!" He looked at the others. "Hey, don't keep looking at me like it's a magic act! Get me down!"

Sora, Toadsworth and Yoshi were about to act when they heard an adult male voice speak up. The voice sounded kind, yet somewhat stern.

"Psyduck, put him down!" the voice called out. "He's no threat to you anymore."

Deep inside the Psyduck's unconscious state of mind, it heard the familiar voice and came out of its trance-like state. The pressure that had built up in its head subsided, and it took a slow deep breath to calm itself down. As it did, the blue glow that surrounded both Luigi and its eyes disappeared. The duck's menacing glare reverted to the pathetic and agonizing look the group saw upon first meeting it.

Luigi instantly fell to the ground when the duck stopped its unintentional act of using its psychic prowess. The plumber landed on his backside, and grunted from the slight jolt. After taking a second to recover, Luigi looked up at the duck, who tilted its head in confusion. Luigi screamed in fear and ran behind Sora's group.

"That's it! I'm done!" Luigi exclaimed. "Let's get out of here before this turns into a horror movie!"

"Oh, you don't have to worry anymore," the male voice spoke up with a chuckle. "As long as you don't elicit him with fear again, he is completely harmless."

The group turned to see a man who looked about fifty years old. He donned a white lab coat, and had short, white hair. He approached Psyduck. Upon stopping in front of the duck, the man squatted over to it.

The man smiled, "There you are, you little scamp. I figured you would be meandering around here. I think you've cause enough mischief for today. How about you give the nice man his hat back, hm?"

Psyduck thought about it for a moment before removing Luigi's trademark cap from its head. The duck sadly handed it over to the man; in return, the man patted the duck's head for the good deed it did. The man walked over to Luigi, and handed him the hat.

"My sincerest apologies, sir," the man said. "He has a tendency to become fascinated by people's personal belongings. And let's just say he likes to…borrow them for awhile."

"So you're saying he's a kleptomaniac." Luigi said as he put his hat back on.

"Well, I wouldn't say that." the man said in defense.

"Sorry, but 'borrow them for awhile' sounds like stealing to me." Luigi said, unconvinced.

"Oh, let it go, Luigi," Sora groaned. "You got your hat back, anyway."

Luigi thought about it for a moment before saying, "Yeah, suppose you're right. Besides, I think I had my fill of insanity for today."

"Again, sorry if he caused any problems." The man reiterated.

Sora gave a forgiving smile, "No problem. I think he was leading us in the right direction, anyhow. See, we just completed the preliminary when…"

The man gasped, "Wait a minute. Forgive my interjection, but you actually got through the preliminary round?"

"Yup," Sora grinned proudly. "We sure did." He pumped his fist, "And we're ready to go for the gold in the main event!"

"I must say, I am impressed," the man said with an approving smile. He looked at Yoshi. "That Pokemon of yours must be well trained. Admittedly, I've never encountered a Pokemon of this nature before, but it must have claimed many victories."

"Hey, me no Pokemon!" Yoshi said defensively. "Yoshi…well…Yoshi."

"I don't know, kid," Luigi said with a whimsical smirk. "You've always had that Pokemon quality to you."

"But..but.." Yoshi stuttered. "Me dinosaur! Luigi know that better than anyone."

"Apokemonsayswhat?" Luigi said quickly.

"What?" Toadsworth asked in confusion.

Luigi turned to Toadsworth in annoyance, "Toadsworth, you ruined the joke!"

"A joke that's five years old, no less." Sora chimed in.

The man cleared his throat in hopes of ending the silly banter. The group did so, and they turned their attention back to the man.

"If that dinosaur isn't a pokemon, then it's even more surprising," the man said. "You're the first non-pokemon to make it through this competition. As organizer of this event – and doing this for a scientific study – I am very impressed."

"Scientific study?" Toadsworth asked curiously. "Who are you, if I may ask?"

"Oh, where are my manners," the man chortled. "I am Professor Samuel Oak, scientist and researcher on human and Pokemon relations. My life has been devoted to studying the connection humans have with Pokemon. I also study the habits and characteristics a Pokemon exhibit, and I try to unravel the entire mystique behind these incredible creatures. Recently, though, I have been taking an interest in comparing and contrasting the endurance between Pokemon and humans. So, I came up with a hypothesis: who would be able to endure intense physical activity longer?"

"Um, as much as I would like to listen to your scientific lecture," Sora said impatiently. "I wanna start battling. Can't win just by standing here."

"Ah, I like your spirit," the professor said. "That's just the kind of ambitious attitude this competition needs. However, forgive me for sounding like a pessimist, but I surmise that you won't last long against the Pokemon competing today."

"And why not?" Luigi crossed his arms, slightly offended.

"Because Pokemon contain special powers and abilities that no mere human can possibly emulate," the professor declared. "As skilled as you three appear to be, you might become overwhelmed by their power."

"You're wrong!" Sora argued. "How do you know we can't handle it unless you actually give us a chance?"

"Well, I don't know…" the professor scratched his chin, dubious.

"Oh, come on, Professor," called a young male voice voice.

The group turned to their right to see a young man around Sora's age walk up to them. He wore a red and white striped baseball cap, a dark blue, light jack, a black t-shirt on the inside, and light blue jeans. What caught Sora's interest about the young man was the strange mouse-like creature resting on his shoulders. It had short, yellow fur, with brown marks on its back. It had long, yellow ears that had black markings on the tips. The mouse displayed two little round, red dots on its cheeks. On its backside, it had a small tail that was in the shape of a lightening bolt.

Sora assumed that this was the boy's Pokemon. The young man walked up to the group with a glowing smile of optimism on his face.

"They cleared the prelims, after all," he continued. "I think they deserve a shot." He turned to his Pokemon, "Right, Pikachu?"

"Pika, pika." the mouse replied with a nod.

"Hmm…well, that is a valid point, Ash," Professor Oak said. "But still –"

"Look, if you're unsure about this, we could just cancel the event." Ash spoke up.

"Cancel it?" Sora said in disappointment. "What for?"

Ash turned to Sora with a sigh, "Professor Oak made the prelims so hard, no one could finish it. Also, it might have to do with the warning sign saying: 'can potentially cause injury' shying people away from it, but that's just me."

"Is that right?" Sora said. "Then it's settled! Let us compete, and you won't have to cancel the event! How about it, Prof?"

The Professor thought about it for a moment before saying, "Okay, okay. I'll give into the peer pressure; you three can compete!"

Sora, Luigi and Yoshi cheered with excitement; they could not wait to get started.

"Now, um…sorry…what is your name?"

"Sora."

"Alright, Sora," Professor Oak said. "Since your team and Ash's team are the only contenders…"

"They're not." a calm, yet sinister voice said.

Everyone turned to see the enigmatic Cloud, Giovanni's hired assassin, slowly approach the blissfully unaware contenders. The aloof warrior focused his blue eyes on Pikachu; he was already picturing his reward – being able to reunite with and embrace the latent memories he once cherished. The man stopped in front of the Professor, and rested his sword on the wall.

He looked at the Professor and said, "The games have a new challenger. Name's Cloud."

"The more the merrier," Professor Oak said with elation. "Now this competition will be a real spectacle! I'll let you take a few minutes to get yourselves warmed up. I'll call you over when it's time."

The group nodded and went about their business to prepare for the games. Pikachu glared at Cloud; something about the man's outward demeanor filled the rodent with apprehension. Pikachu softly growled at the man; at the same time, it was discharging small electrical surges through its rosy cheeks. Ash felt the small hairs on his skin stiffen up. He glanced to see his partner and best friend in a defensive state.

"Pikachu, what's wrong?" Ash whispered to his Pokemon. "Is something bothering you?"

Pikachu slowly gestured its head towards Cloud. Ash looked at the man, unsure what to make of him. On one hand, he seemed like a powerful fighter, considering he was able to hold a giant sword in one hand with little effort. Was he problematic? It was hard to say.

"That guy?" Ash asked.

Pikachu nodded, "Pika."

"Hm…he does seem a little suspicious," Ash said. "If something about him doesn't feel right to you, then we'll make sure to stay clear of him. Okay?"

Pikachu happily nodded. Sora walked over to Ash and Pikachu with his famous grin.

"Hey, best of luck to you guys," Sora said with a friendly attitude. "I'm so looking forward to this! Never fought a Pokemon before! Should be fun!"

"Ha!" Ash laughed cheekily. "You think you stand a chance against me and my Pokemon! You're dreamin', bud! Don't expect us to pull any punches!"

"Heh, by the end of this, you'll be throwing punches," Sora grinned playfully. "Out of spite that I won!"

Sora and Ash continued their playful banter. Ash could not understand why, but for some reason he felt like Sora was a long lost friend he had not seen in years; despite thinking that, he was enjoying every moment of it. Luigi and Yoshi watched as the two continued to converse with one another. Their upbeat and confident attitudes made them appear similar to one another.

"I never thought I'd see the day Sora finally met his match." Luigi chuckled.

"Yeah," Yoshi concurred. "Yoshi happy that Sora having good time."

"Indeed," Toadsworth said. "With all the stress of Castle Oblivion, it's nice to see that Master Sora is finding some enjoyment out of our adventure, eh wot?"

"But, what about man with funny cape?" Yoshi asked. "He no seem friendly."

"That I can agree with," Luigi said with a nervous gulp. "What I'd like to know is how he's able to fight with that huge sword."

"Looks can be deceiving, Master Luigi," Toadsworth said. "Perhaps he's a weary traveler who lacks social skills. I'm sure we'll get to know him better if we just communicate with him."

"Yeah, tell me that again when he communicates to us with his sword." Luigi said.

While the three teams continued preparing for the competition, they were completely oblivious to a mysterious figure hiding behind a concession stand – a figure that had feline-like characteristics. The familiar Meowth of Team Rocket was currently behind the stand, holding in his hands a photograph of a middle aged woman with black hair. He sadly embraced the picture, and started to lightly sniffle.

"Oh Maddie Blaustein," Meowth said with a slight mewl. "How I miss listening to your angelic voice. Ever since you died I've been feeling so…mute. Why, I don't know, but Saturday morning cartoons will never be da same wit out you. Welp, enough wallowing. Time to go to work."

Meowth lightly kissed the photograph before placing it on the floor. The Pokemon slowly peeked his head out from behind the stand to see the contenders continuing their preparation for the games. Meowth specifically focused on Sora's group.

"_I knew it!" _Meowth thought to himself. _"There are other people competing. What did da boss tell me to do again? Distract all of da other competitors so dat Cloud faces da twerp? No problem for Meowth! Top cap position here I come!"_

Meowth snuck his way over to Sora's group, constantly keeping his eyes out for any onlookers. Meanwhile, Professor Oak called over the ardent competitors to the entrance of the arena.

Professor Oak cleared his throat, "Alright, then. Before we begin, I must explain the rules. Now, to make this game fair for everyone, all you have to do is complete an obstacle course. First one to cross the finish line wins."

"Sound simple enough." Yoshi said.

Professor Oak frowned, "If you'd let me finish. In the event of a tie, a battle will determine the winner. However, en route to the finish line you can intercept your opponent and force them to battle."

"Okay, so as long as we avoid running into Mr. Sunshine over here," Luigi said as he thumbed Cloud. "We should be fine."

"And lastly, give it all you got!" Professor Oak cried with zest. "Don't hold back against your foe!"

Professor Oak signaled everyone to line up by the entrance. As they did, Sora turned to offer a friendly gesture towards Cloud.

"Hey, good luck, man," Sora said. "Let's give it our all out there!"

"Whatever." Cloud said coldly.

Sora was slightly taken back by Cloud's rude response.

"Tch, touchy much?" Sora muttered under his breath. "No biggie. I won't let that ruin my day."

The group got into their ready positions. Toadsworth saddled up onto Yoshi to join the excitement. Pikachu hopped off of Ash's shoulder and readied himself. Everyone waited as the professor held up his hand.

"Best of luck, my friends!" Professor Oak said. "On your mark….get set…GO!"

Sora lifted his right foot – only to feel the left one get tugged right towards it. Before he could even comprehend, he tripped and fell right onto his stomach. The key bearer could only wince in pain as he felt the sudden jolt of his chest. Luigi and Yoshi hurried over to help their friend.

"Sora, you okay?" Yoshi exclaimed.

"Yeah, I'm fine, but...what the heck happened?" Sora replied.

"I told you to change those Mickey Mouse shoes of yours," Luigi said. "I knew they would trip you one day."

"No, it's not that," Sora grunted as he rolled over onto his back. "When I started running, I felt like…"

As he got onto his back, he looked down at his feet. He was startled to see that someone had taken the liberty to tie his shoes together.

"What the heck?" Sora cried out. "When did that happen?"

Luigi looked over at Sora's feet, "Well, looks like somebody doesn't want you winning this competition."

"No kiddin'." Sora said.

Yoshi put his hands on his hips, slightly upset that someone was willing to cheat just to get their way

"Who would do such thing?" Yoshi huffed.

Sora quickly untied the laces of his shoes, and retied them to their designated shoe.

"Look, that's not important right now," Sora said as he scurried to his feet. "We're already behind, guys!"

"Sora, I'll keep my eyes peeled for anyone suspicious," Professor Oak said with an assuring smile. "You worry about winning!"

"Really? Thanks Professor!" Sora said happily. He turned to his group, "You heard the man: let's go win!"

Sora's group hurried into the arena, hoping to make up for lost time. Unbeknownst to the group, the culprit responsible for tying Sora's shoes together was watching them like a hawk – the sneaky Meowth. The cat slowly glanced behind the corner to see the group making haste.

Meowth gleefully rubbed his paws, _"Ha, ha! Score 1 for Meowth. Dat should slow em' down. I have to admit: I haven't caused dis much trouble since da company picnic. I can still smell the foul stench of chaos and raw potata salad. Or maybe that stench was from the boss's breath as he chastised me."_

Meowth left the arena, carefully keeping his sights set on the four mysterious strangers from another world.

* * *

The road that lied ahead for Sora was not easy. Like many times before, Sora encountered heartless new and old. Aside from fighting the primal rage of the power wilds, the battle trained ready soldiers, and the usual shadows, the key bearer contended with new variations of the space pirates. One of them had a yellow skin, and it was able to yield to the power of thunder. There was also the one with green skin; this one had healing properties, being able to mend the wounds of its fellow comrades.

The intrepid keyblade master, however, did not give up. His healthy desire to win only pushed him further in this race. Using various skills, from his sword fighting techniques, to calling out Luigi and Yoshi, he plowed his way through legions of heartless. At one point, Sora arrived in a water arena, fighting against four blue space pirates. The entire area, with the exception of a few floating platforms, was completely filled with water. This made it difficult for Sora to properly fight since the platforms were small. Furthermore, the platforms would rock back and forth with every step he took. However, Sora knew it took more than just brawn to win a fight.

Sora called upon Ness to help him out with a plan he just formulated. The key bearer whispered his plan to Ness, who nodded approvingly upon hearing it. Sora turned his attention to the blue space pirates.

"Hey, ugly quartet!" Sora called to them provokingly; he waved the keyblade in the air, too, "Bet you can't swim after us!"

Ness pulled on his right eyelid, "Yeah. You're too afraid to get your little toes wet just to chase down two kids."

The four space pirates became enraged; they did not like being teased by two children. The four flew straight at Sora and Ness, ready to chase them right into the water. Both Sora and Ness turned to face the water, positioning themselves as if they were ready to dive in. The four got closer and closer to the two boys.

Sora then yelled, "Now!"

Sora and Ness quickly ducked, narrowly missing the four pirates. The creatures of darkness dove into the water and sank towards the bottom. With his plan in place, Sora got Ness onto his shoulders, and hurried onto the bleachers in the stadium.

"Go for it!" Sora told Ness.

The young psychic channeled powerful electric currents through his body, and released the energy in the form of a stream of lightening.

"PK THUNDER!" Ness cried.

The stream descended right into the water, and dispersed throughout it. The electricity zapped the four heartless, causing every one their muscles to convulse. The pain was so unbearable, yet they were able to survive the intense shock. However, they were completely paralyzed from the intense amount of electricity surging through their bodies. Sora and Ness waited until the surge diminished. After it stopped, Sora dove into the water to finish off the heartless.

Sora diagonally slashed across the first one in front of him. He then did a three hundred and sixty degree turn and delivered an upward slash across the second one. Ahead of him were the two remaining heartless, opposite of one another. Sora turned his back to the first one and jammed the keyblade into its chest. He quickly relocated his hands on the hilt and brought it upward, slashing the heartless in the middle. He then brought it all the way up and brought it down on the last heartless.

Sora returned to the surface to meet up with Ness. After thanking the boy with psychic powers, Ness vanished from Sora's sight. Sora met up with Toadsworth at the bleachers, and the two continued the race. They both arrived at another door with a golden lining. Sora held up the Key of Guidance he found upon beginning the race. The door opened, and the two proceeded through.

* * *

Sora and Toadsworth (along with Luigi and Yoshi, who just materialized) arrived in another arena. This one looked like a basic arena, with a white insignia in the middle that was shaped like a ball. The group looked ahead to see a familiar man donning a red cape. Already, Luigi muscles started to tense faster than a rubber band being pulled. Cloud's very presences made the plumber feel uncomfortable.

Yoshi smiled, "Hey, that nice of man with funny cape to wait for Sora, Luigi and Yoshi to catch up. Maybe he not bad after all."

"He's not waiting, Yoshi!" Luigi said. "Remember what Professor Oak said? 'You can interfere with your opponents on the course!'"

"He's looking to narrow the field!" Sora assumed.

Sora and Yoshi got into their battle positions. They had a strong feeling that Cloud was someone not to be taken lightly. Luigi, instead of getting ready as well, grabbed a hold of Toadsworth's journal (which was lightly resting between his armpit), pulled out a pen from his pocket, and began writing on an empty page.

"I, Luigi Mario, being of sound, mind and bo…" he started to dictate. He then scribbled out two words, and started to dictate again, "..and a broken ribcage."

Toadsworth angrily grabbed the journal out of Luigi's hands.

"Master Luigi, please!" Toadsworth said. "It's bad enough I lost all of my entries. I don't need you writing such tomfoolery in it!"

"Toadsworth, don't say tomfoolery again." Luigi sighed. "You sound more ridiculous than a character from Shakespeare."

Meanwhile, Sora tightened his grip on the hilt of the keyblade. He could not wait to fight. Cloud glared at his three adversaries with a look of indifference. It was hard for Sora to tell what was going on inside the warrior's head. However, something about Cloud's aloof appearance made him feel suspicious. It was like he had no interest in this tournament; that it was all in vain. Cloud did not display the same surge of excitement that Sora and Ash felt.

Cloud simply said, "You can put that away. I'm not looking for a fight with you, so keep walking."

Sora's group was surprised. He did not want to fight? This only fueled Sora's suspicion further. Regardless, Sora could tell he was telling the truth, so he honored his words by putting the keyblade away.

"See? Yoshi was right," Yoshi said. "He just waiting for us."

Luigi could not help but pump his fist into the air and cheer.

"Oh, happy day!" Luigi cried. "Someone up there must like me! No pain for once!"

Luigi turned to Sora, "Come on! Let's take him up on his offer before he changes his mind."

Sora shrugged, "Well, I don't see a downside."

The group hurried towards the exit of the arena. Cloud stood behind for the moment to make sure they were completely out of his sight. As the four ran, Luigi was hoping they would not establish anymore contact with Cloud.

"_Keep moving…keep moving…keep moving," _Luigi thought. _"Don't say or do anything, and we'll be fine. Keep running…keep running…keep…"_

He then heard Sora say, "Listen, are you sure?"

Luigi winced, _"Doh!" _

Luigi, Yoshi and Toadsworth turned back to see Sora walking over to Cloud. The man spun around to face Sora, slightly annoyed, but unconcerned.

"I'm not here for the tournament," Cloud explained. "Just Ash and his Pikachu. Today they lose more than the competition…"

Sora gasped, "You don't mean….but why? What did he ever do to you?"

"This is business. Stay out of it," Cloud responded. "Go win your tournament."

This was serious. Ash was such a nice person, too. The key bearer did not know what was going on, but he would not allow Cloud to physical harm his new friends. Sora eyed Luigi and Yoshi; in turn, they replied with confident nods.

Cloud strolled towards the exit to complete his mission. Suddenly, he saw Sora, Luigi and Yoshi run right in front of him. All three of them were ready for battle. Cloud raised an eyebrow at the three.

"Do you realize what you're doing?" Cloud asked.

"Sure do," Sora grinned. "You heard what the Professor said! We can intercept our opponents."

Cloud sighed, slightly exasperated, "Look, I'll give you one last chance. Stand down, or face my blade."

"No way!" Sora cried. "Besides, you're not the only one who wants to face Ash!"

"Big mistake." Cloud said as he held the handle of his sword with both hands. A smug look appeared on his face, "Think you can handle this?"

Cloud swung the blade with all of his might, producing a powerful wind that sent Sora's group flying back. As they flew back, Luigi and Yoshi disappeared, becoming mercy of the cards yet again. Sora landed on his back, feeling his muscles shiver from the strong impact. The keybearer jumped to his feet and charged right for Cloud, gripping the hilt of the keyblade with both hands.

Cloud glared calmly at his opponent; taking out a kid with a key would be an easy task, he thought. As Sora got close to the mysterious warrior, he swung his keyblade in from the left side. Cloud simultaneously swung his blade in from the right. When the two blades collided, Cloud's blade pushed the keyblade left, forcing Sora's arm back the way it swung. Sora desperately held onto the keyblade with his left hand. Taking his chance, Cloud began to thrust the blade of his sword right towards Sora's chest. The boy quickly countered by curving his arm slightly inward and swinging the keyblade into the flat part of Cloud's blade, slightly pushing it back to the right.

Sora started to perform a three hundred and sixty degree slash by turning left; as he did, Cloud brought his sword down to trip Sora at the feet. When Sora performed the horizontal slash at Cloud, he jumped over Cloud's attack. Simultaneously, Cloud ducked, with his head just missing the keyblade. After the attacks, the two returned to their starting positions. Sora brought the keyblade horizontally above his head to block the incoming vertical attack from Cloud's blade. Sora felt the powerful force of Cloud's attack. It was so strong that Sora's muscles shook from the blade's overpowering weight.

Before Sora could think up a strategy, Cloud kicked Sora right in the chest, pushing him back slightly. Cloud brought his blade down again, but Sora quickly jumped to the left to avoid the attack. Sora tried to deliver a roundhouse kick, but Cloud quickly brought his sword up, gripping the hilt with his left hand and pushing his right hand against the flat surface of the blade, and blocked Sora's kick with the flat part. Cloud pushed the blade upward, and Sora did a backflip.

"Whoa!" Sora cried.

When Sora finally landed right side up again, he had just enough time to duck from an incoming slash from Cloud. The wielder of the keyblade gripped the handle of his blade with both hands and slashed diagonally, in an upward motion, towards Cloud's face; Cloud, however, leaned his torso back to dodge it. Sora tried to bring the keyblade down, but Cloud brought his sword up to block. He then pushed Sora back slightly. Sora and Cloud both clashed their blades together. Sora tried bringing the keyblade in from below, but Cloud quickly countered by spinning his blade down to counter. Cloud brought his blade back up and twirled it around. Sora sidestepped right to avoid the first attack. He then sidestepped left to avoid the second one. As Cloud brought it down again, Sora put his keyblade up to block. The two were in a tight blade lock; neither opponent led up. The two then leaped back.

Sora tried to go in for a thrust to the chest, only to watch in dismay as Cloud twisted his torso left to avoid the attack. Cloud started his counter attack by grabbing Sora's wrist with his left hand. And before Sora knew what hit him, Cloud elbowed him right in the chest. The boy staggered backwards, clutching his chest from the pain. Things took a turn for the worse, however. Cloud ran right at Sora, and kicked him right in the chin. Sora felt like his chin got hit by a brick.

Cloud's strength was unfathomable; aside from wielding a gigantic sword, his powerful kick was able to knock Sora into the air. The boy did a back flip, and was able to land on his feet. About thirty feet behind him was the wall that separated the bleachers from the fighting area. Sora pressed the palm of his hand into his chin. The throbbing pain he felt was agonizing. He had no time to rest, unfortunately; when he looked back up, he saw Cloud coming in from above with his sword over his head. Sora leaped back to avoid the attack. As soon as Cloud's blade hit the ground, Sora ran onto the sword. The moment he got towards the top of the sword, he swatted the keyblade at Cloud's head – but the warrior ducked under the attack.

Sora put so much force into the attack, that as soon as he got to the edge, he did a front flip and landed on his feet. Sora turned around just in time to block an over the shoulder attack from Cloud. Sora leaped back, and subsequently ran towards the warrior again. Cloud swiped his sword horizontally at Sora, but the boy leaped over the sword. The keyblade master next leaped at the wall, pushing his right hand against it. When Cloud got close enough, Sora pushed off of it, did a three hundred and sixty degree spin left, and swatted at Cloud, who, again, ducked to avoid the attack. Sora gritted his teeth in frustration – he was getting nowhere fast.

Sora turned around to prepare to parry another attack. But instead, he was greeted by a fist right to the face. Sora stumbled backwards and caught himself from falling. The key bearer got into his fighting stance again. The tides of battle were shifting towards Cloud. The blonde fighter was one step ahead of every move. To make matters worse, Cloud was hardly short of breath, something Sora had trouble maintaining.

"See where your meddling has led you?" Cloud said. "If you just minded your own business, you wouldn't be in this grievous situation right now."

"Sorry, but trying to hurt one of my friends IS my business," Sora cried heroically. "I don't know what your beef is with Ash, but I won't let you lay a hand on him. It's not right!"

Cloud shook his head, "So be it. It's a fight to the finish, then. I'll be sure to tell Ash that he wasn't the only who died today."

Sora prepared himself to face the warrior again. He may be at a disadvantage, but that never stopped him before. Sora got ready to attack when, out of the corner of his right eye, he noticed a bouncing green card. Just in time, he thought. Sora sprinted for the card. Like a baseball player, the boy dove for the card. However, misfortunate befell upon him when Cloud's sword got between Sora's hand and the card. Sora looked up to see Cloud's sky blue eyes staring into his soul.

"Nice try."

Sora rolled the other way to get away from Cloud. But Cloud was quick. He brought his sword down again, blocking Sora's path. Obviously, Sora's tactic was not working. Cloud brought his sword down on Sora, who put his keyblade up to block the attack. Cloud started to push down on Sora.

"So, any regrets on intervening?" Cloud said.

"No….way!" Sora grunted.

Using every ounce of his strength, Sora pushed the sword up, and he quickly scrambled to his feet. Cloud brought his sword down again; this time, Sora performed a back flip to avoid it. Sora threw the keyblade like a boomerang at Cloud. The warrior put his blade up to block it. Cloud, however, failed to realize that Sora's attack was nothing more than a distraction. Sora ran for the card (which had Luigi's face on it), and grabbed it, calling the plumber right onto the battlefield.

Luigi appeared with FLUDD on his back.

"Okay, FLUDD," Luigi said. "You ready to do this?"

"Affirmative, Luigi," FLUDD said. "I programmed to assist you in even the most perilous situations. Now, who is the target in question?"

Luigi pointed to Cloud, who was slowly making his way towards the two. He figured he would dispose of Luigi first. Upon seeing Cloud's threatening demeanor, FLUDD's nozzle deflated in a strange cartoon-like manner. Luigi looked over his shoulder to witness this.

Luigi frowned, "Oh no. Don't tell me you're afraid of fighting him?"

"My sincerest apologies, Luigi," FLUDD said. "I am not afraid to engage in combat with the enemy; I am merely, as you humans phrase it, playing it safe."

"FLUDD, there's a difference between playing it safe and being a coward," Luigi pointed out. "Believe me; I've made it an art form."

"LOOK OUT, LUIGI!" Sora shouted.

Luigi looked ahead to see Cloud charging right for him. Luigi jumped over the warrior, and landed a good distance away from him.

Luigi removed FLUDD and placed it on the ground.

"Time for plan B!"

Luigi went through his pocket and pulled out a feather that was akin to the one he used at Kongo Bongo. The feather disappeared, and a yellow cape appeared on Luigi's back.

"It's-a-Weege time!"

Luigi ran at full speed towards Cloud. When he gained enough speed, he lifted himself off the ground, and charged at Cloud with both hands. Cloud put the flat part of his sword up to clash with Luigi's fist. The plumber then kicked upward and knocked Cloud's sword upward. Luigi quickly latched himself onto Cloud's chest. With one swift motion, he swung his legs back and then forward, delivering a powerful kick to Cloud's chin. As Luigi flipped backwards, Sora came in and slashed Cloud right across the chest.

Cloud shouted in pain as he felt the sharpness of the blade penetrate his skin. Cloud leaped backwards and clutched his chest in hopes of easing the pain.

"Lucky hit." Cloud mumbled.

He had no time to recover. Both Sora and Luigi were on the move. Luigi came in with a flying kick, but Cloud grabbed his calf to stop the attack. Sora swatted horizontally towards the right side of Cloud's body. The warrior stabbed his sword into the ground next the right side of his body to block the attack. Cloud threw Luigi into Sora, and the two fell over. With the friends vulnerable to attack, Cloud struck his sword right at the two. Luigi removed his cape and put it out to block the attack. Cloud blinked in disbelief. He could not believe what just happened. A cape blocked his attack?

Luigi pushed Cloud back, giving him and Sora the chance to stand up. Cloud glared at Luigi, flabbergasted.

"How…is your cape able to do that?" Cloud asked the plumber. "What material was it fabricated with? Solid Steel?"

"No," Luigi replied proudly. "Magic."

"That…is the stupidest thing I've ever heard." Cloud said. "From a stupid man, no less."

"Hey, that's the best reason I could think of!" Luigi said angrily.

Cloud brought his sword down on the two, and they quickly rolled to each side. Luigi flew in again, and the two proceeded to exchange blows. Sora, meanwhile, searched through his deck for three fire cards. Luigi continued to deflect Cloud's attacks with his cape, but he soon started to get overwhelmed. Cloud's fighting technique was nearly flawless. Luigi was lucky enough to land a few blows, but Cloud was dominating the battle.

Luigi swung his cape upward to knock Cloud's sword up. He leaped towards Cloud, and swung his cape at him. Cloud leaped backwards to avoid the attack. Luigi brought his cape down, but Cloud put his blade up to block it. Luigi flipped backwards and landed. He charged at Cloud again, once again leaping towards him. This time, Cloud sidestepped, put his hand right above the plumber, and slammed him right into the ground.

Cloud brought his sword up and brought it down on Luigi. Mustering his strength, Luigi rolled out of the way and scrambled to his feet. Cloud was starting to become frustrated. How was he not able to kill such a scrawny little man? Luigi stood his ground as Cloud charged right for him. Luigi clinched his right first, concentrating all of his energy into a giant green ball that formed in his fist.

Cloud swung with everything he got, and Luigi ducked under the attack. He then jumped up at Cloud and delivered a powerful uppercut to Cloud's face. The attack was so powerful, that Cloud went flying into the air. Sora's jaw dropped in astonishment as he bare witnessed to an amazing feat of strength. Luigi flew into the air in pursuit of Ash's executioner.

Cloud grunted as he regained control of himself. He looked to see Luigi flying right towards him at an alarming rate. Cloud swung at the plumber again, but Luigi flipped over the attack and Cloud. He positioned himself right behind Cloud, and delivered a double kick right to the back. Cloud went forward a little bit, and then turned around, gone from slightly annoyed to enraged. Luigi flew at Cloud again, and Cloud slightly leaped up and delivered a downward kick, knocking the plumber down a little bit. Before he got a chance to recover, however, Cloud slashed Luigi right across the chest.

The plumber screamed in pain from the devastating attack. Thankfully, the magical property of the feather took the damage instead, which reverted Luigi back to his normal state. Unfortunately, he still felt the pain of the attack, and was severely weakened; worst of all, he was descending towards the ground at a dangerously fast rate. Cloud was also right behind him, ready to deliver the final blow; so Luigi could either lose his life from hitting the ground or taking one more hit from Cloud's blade.

Sora was horrified, "LUIGI!"

Luigi got closer to the ground, completely immobile. Cloud was almost towards him as well. Sora continued to search for the third and final card. He found it, and then charged up the spell. Luigi was moments away from hitting the ground when he (along with FLUDD) disappeared, once again mercy of the cards. He could not have vanished at more convenient moment. Cloud just swung at him, and the only thing the blade hit was solid ground. Cloud was baffled as to what happened. How did he disappear? The spiky haired warrior turned to see if Sora was responsible for this; but all he saw was the boy firing a giant ball of fire at him.

"Firaga!" Sora cried.

The giant ball of flames flew straight at Cloud. The man stood calmly as the attack approached him. Cloud's blade started to emit a soft, white glow. Cloud brought his blade up and then slammed it into the ground. The blade released a wave of energy that collided with the fireball, causing a giant explosion that engulfed part of the arena. Sora braced himself from the destructive force of the collision. Moments later, the commotion died down, and Sora opened his eyes to see the damage. Debris covered the area, so it was hard to see.

Sora waited a moment for the debris to subside. It did. And he also saw Cloud as well. However, he looked different from before. He now had a giant black wing sticking out of his back. Sparks of electricity surged throughout his body; the electricity let off a fierce hissing sound. Sora noticed an extremely determined, yet savage expression on Cloud's face.

"Okay, kid gloves are off!" Cloud snarled. "I WON'T let you ruin this chance of a lifetime for me!"

Sora gulped nervously. He did not know how well he would fair against Cloud's powered up state. He did start to become curious, though, about what Cloud meant by, 'ruin this chance of a lifetime.'

Cloud flew right at Sora and swung his blade at the boy. Sora fearfully put the keyblade up to block the attack. When they collided, the blades expelled a powerful spark. Sora leaped back to get away, but Cloud dashed forward and elbowed Sora right in the chest. He then grabbed Sora by the arm and threw him into the air. Cloud's strength had increased tenfold. Sora was uncertain if he could prevail. But he would die trying.

Cloud leaped into the air after Sora and slashed right across his chest. Sora screamed in pain from the devastating attack. Cloud quickly flew behind him, and slashed him across the back. Tears started to form in Sora's eyes from the intense pain. As Sora started to descend, Cloud appeared in front of him, and kicked him back into the air. Cloud then flew passed Sora, preparing for the final blow.

Suspended in midair, and mortally wounded, Sora did not know how to counter this next attack. He then recalled one of the lessons Leon taught him about using the cards. The card imprinted with the number zero blocked even the strongest attacks. As broken as he thought the card rule was, it was his only chance. Cloud brought his sword down, and was near the boy's body. Sora spun around and swatted the keyblade with the zero card attached to the chain. Instantly, Cloud lost his powerful ability, and got knocked back into the air.

Sora quickly flew to the ground, and landed on his feet. Cloud landed moments later, but before he could retaliate, Sora fiercely slashed him right across the chest. Cloud hollered from the attack, getting knocked back in the process. Summoning his remaining strength, Sora tapped three of his cards together, and soon enough, the keyblade pulled him right towards Cloud at blinding speeds. The boy slashed Cloud's right shoulder, turned around, and slashed across his stomach. Sora continued dashing back and forth a few more times, severely injuring Cloud. The man hollered from the various slashes. Finally, Sora delivered one last slash that knocked Cloud backwards.

Exhausted, Sora leaned onto his keyblade. His muscles were aching so much; his breathing became as hard as stone. Likewise with Cloud; he was panting heavily, and he was slightly leaning over.

Cloud was astonished, "How…how is this little punk actually beating me?"

"Not….not…so cocky now…huh?" Sora panted. "I think you're starting to regret facing me."

"Hardly," Cloud said, gasping for air. "So you got in a few lucky hits. Big deal. At least I don't look like I'm about to pass out from exhaustion. But there is one thing I want to know. How do you know that Sonic Blade move? I thought I was the only one who knew it."

"Well, may—maybe in another time, another world, we were friends." Sora said with a weak grin.

"Very funny, kid," Cloud said. "It's time I put an end to this."

Cloud considered using his Sonic Blade attack, but he needed to conserve energy for his fight with Ash. But, he had another idea. Cloud gripped the hilt of his blade with both hands, and lifted it right into the sky. Sora was severely fatigued; so fatigued that his body was trembling. He wanted to let everything go and fall into a deep sleep. However, he had to keeping going.

"It's time for the Finishing Touch!" Cloud cried

The tip of the blade flashed a bright light that covered the area for the moment. When the light dimmed, Cloud curved the blade back like a baseball player ready to hit the ball. Sora gasped as he noticed a circle of wind surrounding Cloud. The warrior swung his blade, pushing the wind right at Sora. As it approached the boy, it got bigger and bigger. It was basically an amplified version of the first attack Cloud used. And it was much worse. It looked like a miniature tornado.

Sora tried to escape the angry tornado's wrath. Unfortunately, its speed was just as deadly as its power. It engulfed the keyblade master, unleashing its deadly wrath. Sora spun into the air, screaming for dear life. He did not know what to think. There was no way he could escape it. With all the stress his body took, he could no longer clutch onto the state of consciousness. Before fearing the worse, everything went black.

A/N: Ready for the big announcement? I have created a website for the Nintendo Version. Well, it's with the freewebs website, but hey, it'll let you know the progress on the story. Plus, there will be other little fun things to do there. Like talk about anything Nintendo or Kingdom Hearts related. Or, you can talk about the other consoles, too. I want to make this site fun for everyone. I promise to update the status of the story whenever I can. I can't post the link here, so go to my fanfiction profile to find the link next to the homepage icon.


	14. Chaos in the Coliseum

A/N: Thanks again to everyone who has put up with my procrastination. I apologize profusely for that. XD As stated last chapter, this will be the last chapter I post for awhile on account of I'm going to write the whole thing out; and then, I'll post two chapters a week. I promise to do so. You can keep track of my progress at the website.

**Chapter XI: Chaos in the Coliseum**

Darkness – that was the only thing he could see now. He was lost in the catacombs of the unconscious mind; no matter how hard he searched, he could not find the light that would get him out of his dormant state. Suddenly, he felt a liquid substance slowly slide down his throat. It had a distinctive fruity taste. It reminded him of the paopu fruit juice he used to drink on a hot summer's day. Moments later, he started to regain control of his voluntary muscles. In fact, it felt like all the sore spots completely vanished without a trace.

He then heard some familiar voices.

"Sora, can you hear us?" Luigi said.

"Is Sora okay?" Yoshi asked with a light whimper.

The boy slowly opened his eyelids, and after his eyes took a moment to adjust, he saw the worried expression of Luigi, Yoshi and Toadsworth. Sora slowly sat up and rubbed his face.

"Oh man," Sora grunted. "What a ride."

"Sora!" Yoshi cried happily.

Yoshi ran into Sora's arms and licked his face rapidly. Sora started laughing hysterically.

"Okay, okay!" Sora laughed. "I'm fine, Yoshi! Stop it!"

Yoshi stepped back from the key bearer to give him some space. Sora rotated his shoulders to get feeling back in them.

"Hey, how do you feel, paesano?" Luigi asked.

"I feel…pretty good, actually," Sora said, slightly surprised. "I thought I wouldn't be able to move for a week after getting beatin' up."

"Well you would have been if not for this elixir I found," Luigi said as he held up an empty bottle. "Brings you back to full health in a few seconds."

Sora glared at Luigi skeptically, "Um, I'm almost afraid to ask, but where did you find that?"

"Not too long after you fell to the ground from the attack," Toadsworth explained. "We ran over to see if you were okay. While doing so, we merely looked away for a second and saw the potion. Interestingly enough, it looked like someone situated it there for you."

A horrified look appeared on Sora's face, "And you just gave it to me? What if it was poisoned? "Did you even consider that possibility?"

"Of course we did, Sora," Luigi assured him. "We're not stupid. But, at that point, we were worried you might never move again. You took quite a beating."

"Furthermore, I believe the residents of the castle left it for you," Toadsworth added. "And based the way they've been treating you, it sounds like they don't want you to die."

Sora could not argue with that. If they wanted to end his mere existence, they would have done it by now.

"I guess you guys got a point," Sora said. "It must've been the Castle Oblivion guys. I'm sure Cloud didn't leave it on account of…"

Sora realized something, "Wait a minute! Cloud! I forgot about him!"

"Gracious, you're right, Master Sora!" Toadsworth exclaimed. "I surmise he's almost at the finish line!"

"C'mon! We got to stop him!" Sora said anxiously.

"You sure you're up for it?" Luigi asked.

Sora grinned, "Yeah. I feel great right now! We'll worry about this drink thing later!"

The group exited the area, hoping they were not too late to stop Cloud.

* * *

As Sora and Toadsworth hurried to the finish line, they were intercepted by the heartless. Sora did what he could to expedite through each encounter. Unfortunately, the heartless were not about to let the key bearer breeze by each battle. They came at him from all corners. Sometimes they ambushed him from behind, and tackled him to the ground. Sora still retained his strong fighting spirit and managed to fight them off. If anything, Sora's undying desire to help his friends only made him stronger. The heartless fell just as fast as they appeared.

With the help of his friends and his sleight abilities, Sora was able to fend off the plethora of heartless he encountered. Soon enough, Sora and Toadsworth arrived at another gold door. Wasting no time, they ran through it

* * *

Sora's group arrived at an arena that's ground was covered by healthy, green grass. The group looked ahead to see that they were too late – Cloud had already beaten them to the finish line. Worse of all, he was in the midst of battling Ash's pokemon – namely Pikachu. The little mouse was on the ground, worn out and mortally wounded. He was currently lying on his stomach. Sora noticed that the poor creature had many cuts and bruises. Cloud, on the other hand, was only slightly fatigued. Sora assumed Cloud did not get a chance to recover from their battle.

Pikachu slowly tried to stand on his four feet. He whimpered lightly from the pain he felt in his muscles, as he desperately tried to move them. He fell back down seconds later. Cloud just stared at the creature with a raised eyebrow.

"I can't believe I wasted my time with this runt," Cloud muttered to himself. "I could've already got my memories back by now."

Cloud eyed Ash, who worryingly watched his Pikachu suffer.

Cloud smirked, "It's time I put an end to this."

"Not so fast, Cloud!" Ash shouted bravely. "You haven't won yet! My other Pokemon will deal with you."

He looked down at his injured Pokemon, "Pikachu, let me get you out of there. I'll let Charizard take it from here!"

Ash gasped in surprise to see his Pokemon slowly get back on all fours. Pikachu took a moment to catch his breath from all the physical exertion. Moreover, electricity started to discharge from his cheeks. Cloud was slightly surprised by this. It still wanted to fight?

"Hm, quite stubborn for a Pokemon," Cloud said. "No matter. I'll end this quickly."

"Pikachu, are you crazy?" Ash exclaimed. "You can hardly stand up! Run while you can!"

Pikachu turned to his owner and shook his head in refusal. Ash noticed a familiar sparkle in Pikachu's eyes; it was the same sparkle of determination. Whenever Ash saw that look, he knew that Pikachu would not quit unless his body gave out on him first.

"Pikachu, I know you want to win it for me, but no tournament is worth this!" Ash argued, raising his voice. "I'm not only saying this to you as your trainer, but as your friend: concede this battle!

Pikachu once again shook his head. Ash gritted his teeth in frustration; his patience was becoming tarnished by his Pokemon's stubbornness. Why did Pikachu want to take such a risk to win? Both he and Pikachu knew this tournament was not meant to be taken seriously. Ash started to run towards Pikachu; the Pokemon noticed this and released a small jolt of electricity. The small jolt bounced over towards Ash's foot. The trainer noticed this, and lifted his foot to avoid the jolt.

Cloud could not help but smirk, "Wow. You must be a terrible trainer if your own Pokemon won't obey your command."

"Hey!" Ash said, offended by the remark. "Mind your own business! My Pokemon have free will. I don't force them to obey anything. They're my friends!"

"That so?" Cloud said, raising an eyebrow. "If you don't force a Pokemon to do anything, then why does it look like you're forcefully taking your Pikachu out of the battle? You're not respecting his wishes."

"Because he'll get hurt!" Ash argued.

"Well, that may bother you, but he doesn't seem to mind it," Cloud said. "Sounds like you're enforcing your ideas on Pikachu instead of letting him exercise HIS own free will."

"But…I…"

"Ash!" Sora cried.

The trainer looked to the right of Cloud to see Sora and his friends running towards Cloud. The stoic warrior glanced over his shoulder to see them as well.

"_What? I thought I took care of those meddlers," _Cloud thought. _"Whatever. I'll make sure they don't try to intervene."_

Cloud spun around and fiercely swung his blade at the four, once again producing a powerful wind that sent them flying into the wall. They all felt their backs collide with the solid concrete.

Luigi winced in pain as he rubbed his back, "Okay, that's getting redundant."

Sora quickly got to his feet.

"C'mon, we can't give up." Sora grunted.

"Sora!" a familiar voice called out.

The group turned to their right and saw Professor Oak running up to them.

"Are you alright?" the professor asked. "What happened?"

"Well…let's just say that Cloud wasn't a friendly competitor." Sora said.

"It's worse than you think, Sora," the professor said grimly. "Turns out that Cloud is in alliance with Team Rocket."

"Who Team Rocket?" Yoshi inquired.

"A crime syndicate that specializes in abducting rare Pokemon, which they illegally sell for profit," Professor Oak explained. "And their ultimate ambition is to take over the world."

"Of course," Luigi groaned. "It's always the same cliché."

"But what would Team Rocket want with Ash's Pokemon?" Sora asked.

"Not all his Pokemon; just Pikachu," Professor Oak corrected him. "He appears to have a hidden quality that fascinates them."

"How do you even know this Cloud guy is with Team Rocket?" Luigi asked suspiciously.

"Because we've apprehended Cloud's accomplice," Professor Oak said. "The same person that tried to sabotage your efforts in winning the competition."

The group heard the sounds of grunting and yelling; they looked to the right of the professor to see a dog-like Pokemon with black fur approaching them. The group noticed its mouth was latched onto the neck of a certain feline Pokemon.

"Hey, put me down, ya big mutt!" Meowth clamored. "You can't do dis to me! I got my rights!"

Yoshi gasped, "That Pokemon speak English?"

Professor Oak shrugged, "Sadly not even I can comprehend such a feat."

Ash and Cloud looked over see the cat Pokemon flailing around in the air.

"Meowth?" Ash gasped in surprise. "So, Team Rocket is behind all this!"

Meowth heard Ash, and abruptly pointed at him, "Dat's right, twerp! Dis time you're gonna feel da true wrath of Meowth. So you better prepare for trouble, and make it double. To protect da world from…aw, who am I kidding? HELP!"

Pikachu also took wind of Meowth's presences. The little mouse then spoke up.

"Pika, pika, pika. Pika, Pi." Pikachu said.

"What's dat? Translate for you?" Meowth scoffed. "In your dreams! Not even if you were da last Pokemon on earth! I don't care how important it is!"

Sora's group walked over to Meowth, and surrounded him, giving off threatening glares.

"If you won't translate for Pikachu, then we'll have to take matters into our own hands," Sora said.

"Give me your worse." Meowth said boldly.

"That gold coin on your head looks pretty valuable," Luigi said with a sinister grin. "I hope you don't mind if I…borrow it, do ya?"

Meowth shrieked in horror upon hearing that. He clasped his hands over his coin in fear.

"NO!" Meowth cried. "Not my coin! Anything but dat! Okay, okay! I'll translate! Just leave my little gold coin alone!"

Sora turned to Pikachu, "You heard the cat. Go ahead!"

Pikachu turned to Ash, and started speaking sincerely to him.

"Ash, listen. I wanna keep fighting him because I can, at least, severely weaken him," Meowth translated. "In his current state, he could easily harm our friends. He's that strong. I can never forgive myself if something happens to dem, especially since I now know dis guy is after me. If I can weaken him, you can easily finish him off. You just have to trust me, Ash. I'm doing this to protect you because…well…I love you."

Tears started to slowly roll down Ash's cheeks. Pikachu was a true and loyal friend, willing to sacrifice himself to protect the ones he cared for. But Ash was worried that something terrible would happen to Pikachu if he pursued this daring tactic.

"But…you're my best pal," Ash said worryingly. "I don't want to fear the worse, but…"

Pikachu interrupted him.

"If I truly am your best pal, then you'd trust me," Meowth said. "Please, let me fight him."

Pikachu smiled warmly.

"And don't worry about me," Meowth said, starting to choke up. "No matter what happens, we'll always be friends."

Meowth whispered to himself, "Such a brave little rodent."

Ash clenched his fist. Emotions burst through his mind. He did not know what to think or what to do. Everyone waited in anticipation for Ash's response. Even Cloud, determined as he was to get his memories back, was showing honor by letting Ash make the next move.

Finally regaining his composure, Ash looked at Pikachu with a smirk.

"Go get him, buddy." Ash said with a confident attitude.

Pikachu happily nodded, and turned back to face Cloud, bravely staring death right in the eye sockets.

"Fine. I won't be showing you any mercy." Cloud said as he drew his blade.

"Hope he knows what he's doing." Luigi said.

"Let's hope." Sora added.

Pikachu ran at Cloud, and leaped right at his chest.

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Ash commanded.

Cloud swung at Pikachu, but the Pokemon performed an extraordinarily fast dash, and leaped over Cloud's attack. He then quickly latched onto the warrior's back. Cloud desperately tried to get Pikachu off, but the Pokemon was like a leech; it would not retract. The onlookers watched in suspense, wondering what Pikachu would do.

Ash, on the other hand, knew what he needed to do. It was the only plausible move Pikachu could initiate in this situation. However, hesitation was firmly grasped around the trainer's conscience. He was not sure if he would regret the next course of action. Pikachu noticed the dubious look in his trainer's eyes.

"Pika, pika, pi!" Pikachu cried.

"Don't worry about me," Meowth translated. "Give the command!"

Ash hesitated before finally saying, "Use Thunder with all of your might!"

"No!" Cloud cried.

Pikachu conjured up every ounce of electricity in his body, and unleashed a giant bolt of lightning that struck both of them.

"Pikachuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"

Cloud screamed in pain as felt the surge of electricity penetrate every part of his body. To say that it was painful was an understatement. Everybody else shielded their eyes from the intense brightness of the attack. When the commotion finally died down, an exhausted Pikachu released his grip from Cloud, and fell onto the ground, severely wounded. Cloud also fell onto the ground from the immense pain. The warrior was left in complete bewilderment; how did a little mouse best him in battle?

Ash hurried over to his Pokemon. Sora turned to Luigi and Yoshi

"Let's go help!" Sora said encouragingly. He turned to the Professor and Toadsworth, "You guys stay here in case Cloud tries to pull a fast one."

The two complied, and Sora's group hurried over to offer their assistance.

"Gee, things look pretty rough over there," Meowth said, showing concern. "Maybe I should go over there and help out."

The dog Pokemon softly growled at Meowth, who felt the subtle vibration of its voice box.

"Or, I could just give moral support from back here." Meowth said timidly.

Sora's group arrived to see Ash gently pick up Pikachu and cradle him in his arms.

"Pikachu…are you alright?" Ash asked.

Pikachu slowly opened his eyes with what remaining strength he had. He looked to see he was in the comfort and safety of his best friend's arms. Without even saying a word, the little mouse gently licked Ash's cheek. The Pokemon trainer became misty eyed; he could have not asked for a better friend. He felt so relieved. Sora and his friends were relieved as well.

"Man Ash," Sora said. "Pikachu is something else. That was risky. I'm just glad he's okay."

The group suddenly heard the grunting of Cloud. Everyone darted their heads around to see that he was starting to stand up. Ash quickly ran back a few feet to get away from his executioner. Sora, Luigi and Yoshi got into their fighting stances.

"Mama-mia!" Luigi exclaimed. "This guy never quits!"

Cloud finally stood up, fatigued but still mobile. Despite the current detriment he was in, the warrior was not going to quit.

"We're not done yet…" Cloud said breathlessly.

"Not done yet?" Ash said incredulously. "You're worn out. I'm not going to fight you while you're down."

"Besides, we're here to back Ash up," Sora added. "It would be pretty one sided."

Cloud, however, refused to believe the irrefutable truth.

"It doesn't matter how many of you there are," Cloud said angrily. "I'm going to finish you, Ash, obtain your Pikachu, and get my memories back."

"Your…memories?" Sora asked curiously

"Now, now, Cloud," called a voice. "We wouldn't want to spoil the big plot twist."

Everyone looked to see that Giovanni and his Pokemon Persian (the evolved form of Meowth) have entered from the other side of the arena. Ash narrowed his eyes at the sophisticated, yet pretentious leader of Team Rocket.

"Giovanni! You!" Ash said with a seething glare.

Meowth was ecstatic to see his 'messianic' leader.

"Boss, thank goodness you're here!" Meowth exclaimed. "I knew you'd come to save me! These mooks have been driving me crazy! Now get me out of dis mess!"

Giovanni adjusted his tie, "Looks to me like you oversold yourself, Cloud. Sure, you may have knocked him unconscious, but you managed to weaken yourself in the process. That doesn't look good for your performance rating. Let me try to be as blunt as possible with what I'm saying: you, my spiky-haired friend, are finished."

Cloud was taken aback by what he heard. He did everything in his power to fulfill Giovanni's deepest, darkest desire – illicit as it was – and it was all in vain?

"But…my memories," Cloud said. "We had a deal!"

Giovanni laughed, "I find it amusing that you actually believed you could reacquire your memories. Well, wake up, Cloud – life's not fair sometimes.

Cloud angrily ran at Giovanni, "Why, you! You'll pay for your deceit!"

Giovanni pulled out a black tulip from his pocket, and lightly sniffed it.

"I think not." Giovanni said with a sinister smirk.

Giovanni threw the tulip right into the ground; the stem's edge impaled the ground. As Cloud stopped right in front of it, the rose discharged a powerful surge of electricity. Unfortunately, Cloud got caught in the midst of it, and screamed in agonizing pain.

"Nothing like opening up an old wound, eh, Cloud?" Giovanni grinned evilly.

When the attack finally died down, Cloud started to fall backwards. Sora dashed over to Cloud and grabbed a hold of him before he could fall.

"You are no longer useful to me," Giovanni said. "This time I'll take care of Ash 'Ketchup' myself."

Sora could not believe how monstrous he was. Giving Cloud such false hope, and then injuring him. It just filled Sora with disgust.

Meowth looked at the readers sadly, "I don't think I'm going be rescued, ain't I?"

Meanwhile, Ash held onto Pikachu tightly. He could not battle Giovanni while Pikachu was in such a critical state.

"You'll never get away with this, Giovanni!" Ash said angrily.

"Spare me the clichés, boy," Giovanni replied. "There's no way you can escape this time. Not when I have a new, secret weapon."

Suddenly, two giant hovering machines (who flew in from the entrance Giovanni came from) flew right next to their master. One was colored red, while the other one was blue. They were both parallel to each side of him. The two machines unleashed a powerful force of electricity, and hit Cloud, startling Sora in the process. Unlike the last two times he got hit, however, they weren't harming him. Rather, a round, purple energy field started to form around him. They proceeded to lift the warrior into the air, and as they did, they threw Cloud all the way to the other side of the arena. The others were left awestricken by the machines' incredible power. But they were also concerned about Cloud.

"That should keep him out of the way." Giovanni chuckled. "And don't worry; my machines merely 'escorted' your friend away."

"What are those things, anyway?" Sora asked.

"Twin machines capable of crushing even the most powerful Pokemon," Giovanni explained. "Through many scientific tests, they have proven to be just as strong as the legendary Pokemon: Mew. Cloud might have failed to defeat you, but you're in no position to fight with an injured Pikachu. Also, running is useless. My machines can easily catch you."

Giovanni was right, Ash thought. There was nothing more he could do. With Pikachu in his arms, he was incapable of using his other Pokemon. To him, it felt like all hope was lost.

"Say farewell to your Pikachu," Giovanni said with a smirk. "And any hopes you had in becoming a Pokemon Master."

Giovanni, Persian and the machines slowly started to approach the vulnerable Pokemon trainer. Before Giovanni got the chance to go on the offense, Sora and his friends got in front of the aspiring Pokemon trainer; they were in their battle positions.

"Not so fast!" Sora cried heroically. "We intend to keep Ash's dream alive!"

"Sora, no!" Ash exclaimed.

"Come on, Ash," Sora said with his famous grin. "How are we supposed to have our match if you're pushing up daisies?"

"A valid point," Giovanni said with a sinister smirk.

He took out another black tulip, and the edge of it grew about five feet tall, making it analogous to a fighting staff.

"I guess you'll just have to join him!"

Everyone but Sora, Giovanni, and the machines disappeared from the arena. The two machines turned to face each other, and they created an electric stream in the middle. They moved towards Sora at an alarmingly fast rate. Sora leaped over the stream, landing right in front of Giovanni. The Team Rocket leader thrust the edge of the tulip staff at Sora, who parried the attack with his keyblade. Giovanni tried twice more, aiming in different directions, but Sora prevailed at blocking them.

After bringing the tulip back, he quickly swung the other side of the staff. Sora ducked to avoid it, and quickly brought his blade up to block a downward strike from the tulip staff. The two struggled for a brief moment before Giovanni kicked Sora in the chest, knocking him back towards the stream – which was approaching. Sora almost lost his balance, but he was able to regain it. Giovanni ran at him and swatted again. Sora rolled under his attack, and got behind him.

Sora tried to strike Giovanni with a diagonal, downward slash, but Giovanni turned around and brought his staff up to intercept the attack. The two held their locked position for a second. Sora quickly broke the lock by moving the keyblade upward, bringing it in from the other side, and knocking the tulip away. Giovanni tried to trip Sora with a sweep kick, but the boy did a back flip over the attack. When he landed, he did a second one to get away from the Team Rocket leader.

Giovanni glanced over his shoulder to see the stream was only a few feet away from him. He put as much weight on his feet as he possibly could, and, amazingly, performed a huge back flip over the stream. Sora was astonished by Giovanni's acrobatic abilities. Pretty impressive for a guy wearing a business suit, Sora thought. Upon landing, Giovanni's staff regressed back into a normal tulip. He shot three balls of energy out of the tulip. Sora deflected the first two attacks, and rolled away from the third one. As he turned right side up, he tapped three cards, and unleashed the Strike Raid ability.

The keyblade flew right at Giovanni, who defensively put the tulip up (which he turned back into the staff). Unfortunately, the force of the attack knocked the staff out of Giovanni's hand; it flew about fifty feet away before landing on the ground. Sora went on the offense, hoping to strike while the Team Rocket leader was unarmed.

Giovanni urgently called out to his machines, "Get him!"

The two machines flew right at Sora, who dived onto his stomach to avoid colliding with them. Sora got back onto his feet, keeping his eyes focused on the machine. The two machines turned back to Sora, and unleashed the electric streams at him. The machines rotated around him, increasing the likelihood of hitting him. Sora jumped, jerked, and twisted his body any way he could to avoid the attacks. At one point, Sora did a side flip between the two streams. When he landed, he turned to see Giovanni running at him, with his staff tightly grasped in his hands. Giovanni threw the staff like a spear at the boy. Sora turned around, leaped into the air, and landed on top of one of the red machine. The blue one flew up to Sora's eye level, and fired its stream at him. Sora leaped off of the red machine and landed on the blue one. The red machine quickly flew over Sora's head; it was preparing to fire.

Sora leaped onto the edge of the bleacher to avoid the incoming attack. After landing, he quickly spun around to see the two machines aiming right at him. Sora did a front flip off of the edge, narrowly avoiding the streams. They did manage, though, to hit some of bleachers, completely destroying them in the process.

Sora landed on the ground and ran right at Giovanni. The leader of Team Rocket prepared for Sora's incoming assault. Sora swung his blade at Giovanni, but the leader blocked with the stem side of his staff. Next, he swung the other side of the staff in to knock the keyblade away. Giovanni spun around and tried to stab Sora with the stem side. Sora made the blade part of his weapon face the floor, gripped his free hand onto the tip of the blade, and brought it in to block the attack. Sora subsequently pushed the stem part away.

Giovanni moved his hands to each edge of the staff, having it akin to the way Sora was currently holding the keyblade. The two then thrust their weapons back and forth, almost like fighting with sticks. However, after a few seconds of repeating this maneuver, when Giovanni tried to attack again, Sora kicked the Team Rocket leader in the stomach, and followed through by ramming him right into the ground. Despite feeling the sudden jolt in his back, Giovanni did not get a chance to recover. Sora brought the keyblade down, forcing Giovanni to block the attack with his staff.

Putting all of his energy into his feet, Giovanni kicked Sora in the back, knocking the boy away. Giovanni managed to get into a kneeled position before seeing Sora run at him again. Giovanni used the flower part of the staff to knock Sora's incoming attack way. He then swung the stem part in order to trip Sora's feet. The boy did a small leap to avoid the attack, and brought the keyblade down again, only for Giovanni to put his staff up.

"How monotonous." Giovanni grunted, as he struggled to keep Sora at bay

Sora suddenly felt a powerful shock in his back, causing him to yelp in pain. Assuming it was the machines, Sora rolled out of the way to avoid further damage. The boy clenched his fist in frustration; the machines only made things harder. If only he could dismantle them. However, Sora did not have ample time to formulate a strategy. Giovanni swatted at Sora with the staff, and the boy ducked underneath it. The man tried to attack with the other side, but Sora put his keyblade up to defend. Sora pushed the staff up with his blade, and spun away to get some room.

The two clashed their weapons back and forth for the moment; neither fighter lost momentum. Before Sora could get in another hit, he felt the shock of the machine's stream again. To make matters worse, the other machine hit him before he got a chance to move. Sora's entire body was paralyzed by the electricity surging through him. Soon, Sora's vision got covered by a violet color. He was trapped inside of the force field, and he was being hoist into the air.

Giovanni could not help but laugh at Sora's misfortunate.

"What a shame," Giovanni said evilly. "You've proven to be an admirable opponent. Unfortunately, you were no match for me. With my scientific resources, I am simply invincible."

Sora struggled to form words, "Your…your scientific resources make you nothing more than a big coward. Hiding behind your lame technology only shows how weak you truly are."

"You are in no position to call me weak," Giovanni smirked. "Especially when you are incapable of moving."

Giovanni pulled out another tulip from his pocket, and aimed the stem right at Sora's chest. Summoning every ounce of his strength, Sora brought his hands close to one another. He tapped one of the cards on chain of the keyblade, and summoned Ness to the battle.

Giovanni threw the tulip at Sora, and before it got the chance to strike him, Ness's PK fire intercepted and incinerated it. Giovannni angrily spun around to face his new challenger.

"Can't I enjoy my day without such annoying inconveniences?" Giovanni said, growing irritated.

Giovanni fired a myriad of energy balls at Ness. The young psychic summoned his PSI shield to block the incoming projectiles. Giovanni threw his tulip staff at Ness, but the boy rolled out of the way. Ness pulled out his yo-yo, and threw it at the red machine, which tightly wrapped itself around it. Ness pulled on the string, and pulled the machine away from Sora. The key bearer was able to regain movement, he and pushed himself out of the force field.

Sora turned to see, "Thanks pal!"

"No problem," Ness replied. "Now let's get him!"

The two ran at Giovanni, in hopes of ending this battle. Giovanni was not finished, though. He picked up a green card that was on the floor.

"Sorry, but you're not the only one who likes to play card games!" Giovanni cried as he held up a card.

Sora and Ness stopped dead in their tracks as a bright light emerged from the card. Simultaneously, since Giovanni performed a card break, Ness was forced to retreat to Sora's chain. The boy did not know what to expect – until he saw Giovanni's Persian leap at him. Sora fearfully put the keyblade up just in time, as the Persian bit down on the blade, and tackled Sora to the floor. Sora tried to get the Pokemon off, but it was far too strong. He had to think of something fast. He could feel Persian's warm breath on his neck; he also heard the low, threatening growl right against his ears. Thankfully, the key bearer saw a Yoshi card right next to him.

Sora grabbed it, "Two can play at this game!"

The key bearer held up the card, and the Persian disappeared from the arena. The ferocious feline was replaced by a familiar green dinosaur.

"Hey, Sora!" Yoshi greeted his friend.

Yoshi helped the key bearer up, and two turned to face Giovanni. His two machines were approaching them from behind.

"It doesn't matter how many of you there are," Giovanni said. "You're still going to lose."

"I don't think so!" Sora cried. He turned to Yoshi, "Let's give him maneuver number eleven."

Yoshi winked, "Got it."

Yoshi leaped high into the air and curled himself into a ball. The green ball proceeded to transform into a giant egg with white spots. Sora held his keyblade similar to that of a baseball holding a bat. When Yoshi got to Sora's eye level, he swung at the egg, and hit it right into Giovanni. The Team Rocket leader put up his staff to block the incoming attack, and pushed the dinosaur back to the ground. When the egg hit the ground, Yoshi popped out of it, and stuck his long tongue out. The red, slimy tongue wrapped itself around Giovanni's staff, completely taking Giovanni by surprise. Yoshi then pulled it out of his hand, and swung his tongue around the stem part of the tulip impaled itself on the red machine.

Sora ran over to it as Yoshi released his grip, and pushed the tulip all the way through the machine, ruining all of its wiring and causing it to malfunction. Sora pulled the tulip out, threw it to Yoshi, who ate it, and spat it right into the other machine. The stem's edge went through most of the machine, and caused it to malfunction like the other one.

Giovanni gasped in horror, "No! My machines! They were supposed to be perfect!"

Sora finished both machines by throwing the keyblade into each one, which caused them to explode. Giovanni's staff went flying straight into the sky. Giovanni was dumbstruck; all his plans fell faster than an airplane. He was in so much shock about failing that he did not pay attention to Sora and Yoshi. The two came in and kicked him right to the ground. The force from the attack knocked a black card out. Sora grabbed a hold of the card, put the keyblade away, and caught Giovanni's staff.

The Team Rocket leader looked up to see Sora pointing the tulip right at him.

"Not so mighty without your technology, are you?" Sora grinned cheekily. "So, you give up, or are you thirsty for more?"

Giovanni lowered his head in defeat, "I surrender."

"That's what I thought you'd say.

* * *

Everyone was gathered in the main hallway not too long after Giovanni's defeat. Sora was talking with Ash and Professor Oak, while Luigi, Yoshi, and Toadsworth watched the police escort Giovanni (in handcuffs, of course) out of the building. The latter of the six then witnessed the police carry Meowth and Persian out in two separate crates. Being the expressive Pokemon that he was, Meowth was rambling and raving.

"You can't do dis to me!" Meowth shouted. "I'm a civilized Pokemon! Fangirls squeal at the sight of me! You better stop it! I've got friends! Though, knowing dem, they're probably stuck in a hole again! Why me!"

Meowth continued his nonsensical outburst all the way out the door.

Luigi groaned, "Mama-mia! What a fake and annoying Brooklyn accent. Did he pick the shortest straw when it came to choosing a voice, and he got stuck with the fake accent?"

Meanwhile, Sora was saddened to hear a few unfortunate words from the Professor.

"What? The games are canceled?" Sora said. "How come?"

"Team Rocket's interference has left everyone fatigued," Professor Oak explained. "Physically and mentally."

"But, what about my match with Ash?" Sora said, disappointed.

Sora glanced at Ash's face, and saw the distressed look that was plastered on it. Sora felt his heart slightly drop; he perfectly knew what it was like to worry about a friend – a friend that stuck by you from the beginning. One you laughed with, one you always hung out with, and one that filled your spirit with confidence. He would give the trainer his space.

"Y'know what," Sora said with a warm smile. "I don't mind taking a rain check."

"Sorry, Sora," Ash said despondently. "I…

"Hey, when I want to face someone in a match, they have to bring their A game," Sora grinned. "I don't want to face someone who's worried about their closest friend. It wouldn't be right."

Ash and Sora shook hands.

"Thanks Sora," Ash said, feeling slightly better. "I knew you'd understand."

Ash then smiled whimsically, "But when Pikachu is better, you're going down!"

"Ha! Yeah, right!" Sora laughed.

"Master Sora!" Toadsworth called out. "He's regaining consciousness! Come quick!"

Sora said his good-byes to the Professor and Ash, and hurried over to his friends. Sora looked to see that Cloud was slowly rising to his feet.

"You okay?" Sora asked.

Cloud stood up and brushed himself off, "Yeah."

The group did not know what to expect next. Cloud may have been terminated from the ranks of Team Rocket, but they still were not sure if he would pose a threat.

"Sorry if I ruined your games." Cloud said.

The warrior grabbed his sword and slowly started to walk off.

"Hey! Hope you get your memories back!" Sora said with a smile. "Forget about what Giovanni said. Sometimes the tiniest thing can make you remember stuff you forgot years ago. If it's an important memory, there's no way it could ever be gone forever. That's what I think, anyway."

Cloud stopped dead in his tracks, and went through his pocket until he pulled out a card. He threw the card at Sora, who caught it. He looked at it to see a picture of Cloud's face.

"That's for you," Cloud said. "For helping me out."

Sora put his arms behind his head, "Sure you just don't want to come with us instead?"

Cloud flicked his hair and let out a small smile.

"Sorry. Not interested."

The group watched as Cloud slowly exited the arena.

"All's well that ends well, right?" Yoshi said happily.

"For them, maybe," Luigi pointed out. "But like Cloud, we are searching for something, too."

Soon enough, the magic portal appeared behind the group, and they made their way back to the castle. Sora, however, turned back to where Ash and Professor Oak were. He looked concerned. Yoshi noticed that Sora was not coming, and turned to him.

"What wrong, Sora?" Yoshi asked.

"I'm still worried about Pikachu," Sora said. "Hope he's okay."

"He'll be fine," Luigi assured him. "We have to keep moving if we want to find Riku and my brother."

Sora sadly nodded, and walked over to the portal. Before they got a chance to enter, the group heard the sound of laughter. Turning back, they saw Ash embracing Pikachu (who was brought out by the Pokemon Nurse), extremely elated to see his Pokemon alive and well. There were some minor injuries, but he looked okay. The two could not be happier to see each other. Now reassured about Pikachu, Sora left the coliseum knowing that, while the games were canceled, everybody won in the end.

…except for Team Rocket.


	15. Time to Start Fresh

I know what you guys are thinking: "Key, you know that posting author's notes as a chapter goes against this website's policies. And isn't this like the five hundredth time you've done this? Are you THAT dense?"

Well, maybe a little dense, but I assure you that I have a perfectly good reason. Personally, if the administrators decide to terminate this story, they would be doing me a favor. No! I haven't given up on this series. Far from it. However, for those of you unaware, I decided to rewrite Chain of Memories: The Nintendo Version. Why? I'm pretty dissatisfied with it. I wrote this a long time ago, and since then I feel my writing has improved. This story could use some polish. Plus, there are some ideas I didn't get a chance to use the first time around.

So with that said, I will be reposting COM:TNV as an entirely new story. Consider this story you read a rough draft. I will be leaving it up for everyone to read. If the administrators delete this story, it won't bother me; I have no intention of reposting it.

With that said, the final version of COM:TNV is far from finished. In fact, the first draft isn't done yet. For those of you who read Tales from the Other Side, I said I would try to get COM:TNV out by September 17th, to commemorate Kingdom Hearts' 10th Anniversary in the United States. I have a legitimate reason for why the story is delayed. I've started writing a rough outline of Kingdom Hearts 2: The Nintendo Version. To make a long story short, I got writer's block, so I figured why not start plotting out KH2 a little bit? Once I started I couldn't stop! The ideas came rushing to me. I'm pleased to inform you that I'm part way through Yen Sid's Tower (and boy am I having fun coming up with ideas for it). I'm probably going to keep going until an idea for COM:TNV comes to me. And let me assure you: I have no intention of releasing KH2:TNV before COM:TNV.

I'll get COM:TNV finished as soon as possible. I want to thank everyone for their continued support. You guys rock! I know things have been rough with these stories, but I will not stop until I finish them. I'll do whatever it takes. To celebrate KH's 10th Anniversary in the states, I will be releasing the prologue chapter of Chain of Memories: The Nintendo Version on September 17th.

Lastly, I'm looking into other options for the KHTNV website. Look out for updates on that.

Again, thanks for your support. I hope you guys look forward to COM:TNV and KH2:TNV.

Kingdomkey23


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